Chasing Cars
by AstroZombie82
Summary: Jack meets a girl at school who's spent most of her life being a loner. Will she let him into her world? And what will be the consequences? JackOC. PreDuringAfter movie, centered mainly on Jack, he doesn't get shot or die! Rated for later chapters
1. Jack, Beth & the note

**Disclaimer - Unfortunately, I don't own any of the characters or situations from Four Brothers but Beth is all mine. This if my very first Fanfic so if you choose to review, please be gentle. Any reviews, good or bad will be greeted with open arms and rewarded with my undying admiration ;)**

Beth Harper had been going to the same High School for the past year; seeing the same walls, the same faces and doing the same things to avoid them at all costs. She was a loner and hated nothing more than having to interact with her peers. It wasn't that she thought she was above them, it had more to do with the fact that they were bossy, loud and in most cases; intellectually inferior.

Beth was an intelligent girl, so intelligent that she purposely achieved just above average grades in everything she turned her hand to. If she scored too highly, people would sit up and take notice, they would ask questions and intrude into the world she'd created for herself. If her grades were too low, they would assign her tutors and again, she would attract unwanted attention. So she remained average enough to go almost entirely unnoticed. She walked through the halls with her head down, sat in the back row for every class and didn't participate in anything that wasn't obligatory.

This particular School Day was almost, mercifully, over. She slunk even lower in her seat at the back of class and fidgeted with the sleeves of her black sweater, pulled down low enough to conceal the bruises and scars. If anyone were to see them, they would begin asking questions and that had the potential to turn her world upside down. Things were far from perfect but she liked being anonymous, it was better than being singled out as the 'weirdo', the girl who had 'issues'. Better that she avoided _them_, than the other way around.

She dug a nail into a groove in the desk before her. The desk itself must have been decades old and the initials 'BD + JM 4 EVER' were barely visible anymore but she traced the letters as she did every time she sat there. Her reverie was interrupted however, when the door to the classroom was flung open by an obviously angry guidance counsellor who held a boy by the scruff of the neck. Everyone else in the room turned to assess the commotion, when the man announced that he had found the boy off School property and was returning him to his assigned class.

The teacher 'tut-tutted' and motioned for the boy to take an empty seat, dismissing the counsellor with a wave of her hand. Beth looked back down and chewed her bottom lip fervently. She recognised the boy as Jack Mercer. She didn't know him personally but she knew him by reputation. He had few friends and was usually on his own, when he wasn't being followed by a gaggle of drooling girls. It hasn't escaped Beth's attention that he was stunningly attractive. He had piercing blue-green eyes and scruffy dark blonde hair, accompanied by a slightly lopsided smirk that seemed to say that he was privy to information that nobody else was. Beth panicked as she realised that the only available seat was right next to her and she shyly watched him take his seat from beneath her auburn hair which was always unkempt and placed meticulously in front of her face as a kind of shield.

He looked over at her and smiled but blind panic got the better of her and her eyes darted back down to the desk in front of her. She tuned out the teachers voice as she always did, went back to fiddling with her sleeves and patiently awaited the blissful sound of the bell that signalled the end of the day.

Once again her daydream was rudely interrupted by a piece of paper falling by her feet. She peeked from behind a shock of hair and noticed that Jack was staring straight at her and smiling brazenly. She absentmindedly attempted to smile back but she was sure that it emerged as more of a grimace. Jerking her head back to the centre, she felt like banging her head on the desk. What was she doing? This boy had never noticed her before today and she certainly didn't want to do anything to attract attention. Despite this, curiosity got the better of her and she casually reached down, pretended to re-tie a wayward shoelace and snatched the piece of paper from the floor. Beth unfolded the paper underneath the desk, away from potentially prying eyes and then smoothed it out on her notepad. She furrowed her brow as she tried to make out the appallingly scruffy handwriting but decided that it simply said "Meet me after class".

She couldn't ascertain why a boy that looked like Jack would possibly want to meet a girl that looked like her after class so she reasoned that the note must have been for someone else and tossed it back on the ground. Unfortunately, this didn't escape their teacher's eagle eye and she marched straight over to where Beth was sitting, picked up the piece of paper and proceeded to read it aloud to the entire class. Their teacher started to walk back to the front of the classroom but stopped in her tracks and stared at Beth.

"You. What's your name?"

"Me?" Squeaked Beth, her voice wavering with nervous apprehension.

"Yes, you! Your name? What is it?"

"B-Beth, Ma'am".

"Well, Beth", she spat, "you can stay after class and write me an essay on exactly why it's wrong to be passing notes in the middle of my class."

As the teacher walked back the front of the classroom, Beth dropped her head and blushed a deep red as the boys and girls around her sniggered at her misfortune and whispered, all of them puzzling over who she could have sent the note to. They didn't have to wonder long as an unnervingly deep voice piped up.

"Miss Banner", he addressed their teacher with a cocky, teasing tone, "the note was mine. I wrote it."

"How very noble of you Mr. Mercer. This sort of behaviour has become a trademark of yours but given that all I have is circumstantial evidence and a confession from you, I have no choice but to give you detention as well. I'll see you both after class and will tolerate no more interruptions until that point."

He sank back in his chair, defeated. Beth couldn't help but look up at him, less shy this time, and give him a small, thankful smile.

Fifteen minutes later, the bell sounded and the classroom descended into disarray as kids pushed and shoved, each wishing to the first out of the door. Beth and Jack simply remained in the chairs they had occupied for the past hour, neither one acknowledging the other.

Miss Banner handed each of them a piece of paper and ordered them to write a substantial essay detailing their errors in judgement. Not wanting to be there any longer than she had to be, Beth began straight away and it took her a mere 30 minutes before she was out of her seat, backpack slung over her shoulder and heading toward Miss Banner's desk. She put the sheet of paper on the teachers desk and exited the room silently.

No more than a minute later, she heard someone running behind her. She kept her head down and walked ahead as she always did but was forced to turn around when someone grabbed her arm. She spun around, her eyes wide and her features only softened slightly when she realised who it was. There was no mistaking that gorgeous face. Without wanting to let her post pubescent hormones get the better of her, she marched on ahead, ignoring him.

Not one to be deterred, Jack followed without missing a beat and since his legs were much longer than hers, he caught her up with little effort.

"So, you ignored my note, huh?"

Slightly shocked, it took Beth a few seconds to answer. Almost inaudibly, she countered,

"That was for me?"

"Sure. My aim isn't _that_ bad", he muttered confidently.

Not knowing what to say, Beth continued to keep her eyes on the sidewalk and said nothing.

"So, your Mom told you never to talk to strangers? I can't fault that. I _am_ strange", he laughed.

"No, I just assumed………" she trailed off.

"You assumed it was for someone else?" He finished her sentence for her.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"I've seen you around y'know. You're not as invisible as you think you are."

"Oh yeah? What else do you know about me?" Her confidence grew slightly and she found herself a little more comfortable in his presence even though his words should probably have scared her.

"I know that your name is Beth Harper. I know that you're 17, you have 4 of the same classes as me and you think that no-one sees you. You're wrong."

"I'm wrong?" She struggled for words but he seemed talkative enough to compensate for her silence.

"Sure you're wrong, I see you walking these halls every day. Hell, you seem just about as unhappy to be here as I am. Am I right?" He enquired.

"You might be."

"And I also think there's a lot going on in that head of yours. I know you're smart, much smarter than I am. I know you don't have any friends either but I think that's through choice."

"You know everything, don't you Jack Mercer?" However comfortable she felt, the simple fact that he knew so much about her when she had tried her very best to hide from the world as a whole, unsettled her a little.

"So you do know my name!" He chuckled, "Since my note seems a little redundant now, how about you meet me after class tomorrow?"

"T-Tomorrow?" She stuttered. "Why do you want to meet me?"

He shrugged.

"Maybe I think we have a lot in common, maybe I think you're mysterious, maybe I'm just inquisitive….."

"Mysterious? I'm not mysterious. I'm boring, you don't want to hang out with me." She said flatly.

"Can I at least be the judge of that?" He persevered. She had to give him full marks for effort, he certainly wasn't one to give up without a fight. Beth knew it was time she should be getting home and didn't have the energy to argue with him so she simply nodded, unsure of whether she would meet him or not but feeling that saying yes was the only way she would get rid of him there and then.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow Beth. Don't go getting yourself detention again", he said with a twinkle in his eye.

She stared at him open-mouthed and shook her head in amusement.

Until tomorrow, she thought to herself……..

**Next chapter - Why is Beth so withdrawn? What is the significance of her scars? Could Garret Hedlund be any hotter!?!?**

**I hope you ejoyed this chapter, hopefully I'll be uploading a new one very shortly. If you loved it, review! If you hated it, review:)**


	2. Are you stalking me?

**Disclaimer – Again, I own nothing and no-one except Beth and a few peripheral characters. If you weren't aware, the title of the story comes from a Snow Patrol song that I absolutely fell in love with, if you haven't already, give it a spin, it's a gorgeous song!**

**This chapter follows Jack rather than Beth. If the formula works, I might alternate chapters so we get both their points of view.**

Jack hated School. He didn't enjoy any of his classes and sometimes felt like he was simply going through the motions. The classes made him feel dumb; he knew he wasn't, he just didn't have the knack for academic learning. He was counting down the days until he could (hopefully) graduate and leave Detroit with his band. Things would be smooth sailing then and he could partake in his favourite things in life on a daily basis and not have to worry about answering to authority figures. The thought brought a smile to his face and he reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a book of matches. Taking a peek around him from his vantage point round the back of the gym building he lit his cigarette safe in the knowledge that no teachers would apprehend him for doing so.

His thoughts drifted to Beth as he stood leaning nonchalantly against the large brick building. She was an evasive one, he thought. Never one to be deterred by a girls standoffishness, he would wait here until she walked past this afternoon, as she always did. Jack wasn't accustomed to having to chase girls, they usually did all the work for him and to Jack, that took the excitement away. This one was a challenge. Having said that, he had no idea what he wanted from this girl. He'd been out with some real knock outs in the past and although Beth was pretty, she hid her face most of the time and dressed in clothes that made her look like a plain Jane at best. For some reason he just felt drawn to her and that meant he wanted to get to know her better. He'd seen her every day, walking through the halls slowly yet meticulously, hoping no-one would notice her. But he noticed her. He'd seen scars and bruises on her arms and face on numerous occasions and always wondered how they got there. He'd experienced marks like that first hand and couldn't help but pity her a little, even though he knew it was wrong to do so and probably the last thing she'd want. She seemed like the kind of girl he shared a common bond with but he couldn't place his finger on what exactly made him think like that.

A bell sounded, startling him and he jumped slightly, not ready for the intrusive noise. As happened every day, a rabble of kids rounded the corner and sailed past him, rushing to get home and away from School. He scanned the crowd, only interested in seeing one particular person. He didn't have to wait very long before he found her. Bounding up to Beth in short, effortless strides, he walked in step beside her.

She looked up at him and he was surprised to see a soft smile spread across her lips.

"You again," she stated matter-of-factly.

"You bet, I'm a man of my word," he said sincerely.

They fell into a somewhat uncomfortable silence, neither knowing exactly what to say to the other. As usual, Jack was the one to break the silence.

"So, what are you doing now?"

"Now? I'm going home, I have……stuff……to do," she said unconvincingly.

"I don't buy that for a second," he countered, "are you saying you don't even have an hour to spare to go and have a coffee with your new friend Jack?"

He grinned persuasively in her direction and she smiled back. That had to be a good sign, he thought.

"I suppose I could spare an hour," she responded, "but only an hour," she added quickly.

They left School premises making idle chit chat and circled round the corner to the nearest greasy spoon café. Neither chose the destination, they just followed their feet and seemed to silently agree that this would be the place.

Jack opened the door for Beth in a gentlemanly gesture and she blushed as he followed her through and they both took seats opposite one another at the booth in the furthest corner. A waitress appeared at their booth before anyone could further the conversation and they both ordered a coffee which materialised at their table equally as swiftly.

Jack looked across the table at Beth, who was staring into her coffee as though it were the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen. Without thinking he spoke exactly what was on his mind.

"Why are you so reluctant to look people in the eye?"

As if trying to prove him wrong, she looked up and locked eyes with him defiantly.

He couldn't help but feel a little transfixed by her as she looked at him so intently. She had beautiful eyes, more so than he had imagined when he'd first seen her. They seemed to say so much about her; there were clearly a lot of secrets behind them and for a moment, he longed to know what they were.

"It's easier not to get involved with people if you don't make eye contact," she said, after what felt like an endless silence.

"I guess you're right," he resigned, "any particular reason for wanting to keep your distance?"

"Lots of reasons. Mostly, I like to be by myself. I'm not good with people."

She said this with a hint of sadness in her voice that didn't escape him.

"I know what you mean." He offered. "I know I may seem confident and stuff but I think we all like to keep ourselves to ourselves sometimes. Privacy's a good thing."

"Yeah," she said simply, as if wanting to expand on this but was unsure of what to say.

"So……y'know yesterday? When I said I'd seen you around?" She nodded. "Well, I've seen you in class, when you think no-one's looking."

He paused before continuing, making sure he had her full attention.

"I've seen scars on your arms and bruises on your face and….."

Before he could say anything more she scrunched her features as if in terrible pain and went to grab her backpack, ready to leave. Jack grabbed her arm, not wanting her to go and scared he'd pushed too hard for information and afraid he'd offended her. She seemed to balk at his touch and sat back down, as if defeated. Seconds went by and neither of them spoke but this time Beth was the first one to penetrate the silence.

"It's none of your business," she said harshly, "I didn't ask for you to start stalking me and I don't need your questions."

"Hey! I haven't _stalked_ anyone!" He said, in defence of his actions and hurt by her accusation. "I just thought you looked like you needed a friend."

"Well, I don't," she said quickly, "I don't _need_ anyone."

"Yeah, you look like you're doing just fine by yourself," he scoffed, "I've never seen someone so happy to be all on her own."

He instantly regretted the words as soon as they'd fallen from his lips and he put his head down and bit his lip. Peering up at her and brushing his messy hair from his eyes, he was sure he'd seen her bottom lip waver. Sure enough, before long, tears began to well up in her eyes and he felt downright evil for verbally attacking her like that. She was right, she hadn't asked for any of this. Feeling like the worst person in the whole world, he offered her the only apology he was capable of.

"I didn't mean that. It's just……um……well……" words escaped him.

"It's fine," she whispered, "I have to go now."

"No! Please? I'll keep my mouth shut, I didn't mean to pry, I just want to get to know you is all." He offered.

"I really have to go, I didn't tell anyone I would be late home from School, they might be worried. I'll see you around…"

She picked up her backpack and was out the door in the blink of an eye, before he even had time to respond let alone try and stop her again.

He hung his head, thoroughly ashamed of making her feel at all uncomfortable and metaphorically kicked himself for possibly ruining his own chances at some kind of friendship, relationship, whatever…..

Downing the remainder of his lukewarm coffee in one and picking up his own bag, he threw some spare change down on the table and exited, hoping deep down that Beth would still be in sight and that he'd have some kind of chance at redeeming himself. He looked around but there was no sign of her and so he walked slowly home, silently ticking himself off for being such a fool.

Kicking a wayward stone out of his path, he muttered sarcastically, "I can't believe I made a girl cry, Mom would sure be proud…."

**Well, I know this one was a little shorter than the last but once I get into the habit of doing this, they'll start getting a little longer. We'll meet Evelyn and the other brothers shortly but they will, for the most part, be peripheral characters as this is strictly Beth/Jack-centric. If the pace is too fast/too slow or you have any suggestions, please review!!! I'll love you forever!**

**Thanks to _Smiju_ for my first review! Be sure to check out her stories, especially 'The 30th Of January' which is a favourite of mine :)**


	3. Daddy dearest

**Disclaimer – Again, I own nothing but the clothes on my back :)**

**Just as a warning; in future chapters I won't be shying away from some pretty harrowing issues and some of it will be fairly graphic. I'm talking violence, language, smut, child abuse, etc, hence the rating. Hopefully it won't be offensive as I'm trying to tackle it in a sensitive way but the details will be in black and white for you to see!**

It was roughly nine o'clock on Thursday evening and Beth still couldn't shake the events of that day. She had been strangely grateful when Jack had insisted that she join him for coffee and then he had to go and open his big mouth. She lay on her stomach on the floor of her small bedroom, trying and failing to complete her homework. It seemed her brain was more focused on the boy that had come into her life only a day ago than it was on calculus. Who could blame it, she thought. He was an intriguing character; messy hair, handsome features, charming, despite his reputation he would seem like the perfect boy to bring home to Mom. Except Mom wasn't at home. In fact, Beth had no idea where she was. It had been over two years since she'd even heard from her and any hope she had of seeing her again had vanished.

Beth had largely grown up in a parent-less environment. Even before her Mom had run off, she had scarcely been at home, instead leaving Beth in the care of her unreliable father. These days, she was mostly left at home on her own, which suited her down to the ground. She had no brothers or sisters and had grown to like her own company. She occupied her time reading or doing homework and seldom grew bored or lonely but it wasn't a very fulfilling existence. Now and again, she wished she had someone to unburden herself to, someone she could talk to and that wouldn't judge her. Having been hurt in the past, Beth was reluctant to open herself up to such an opportunity.

She glanced down at her watch again, thirty minutes past nine and still her Father wasn't home. She felt guilty about having lied to Jack about someone at home being worried about her. The truth was that no-one would notice if she went missing for weeks at a time. The only reason her Father knew she existed was that she was the only available outlet for his frustrations. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for her Father to come home from wherever it was he'd been, stinking of liquor, staggering around and desperately looking for someone to kick or punch or lash out at. More often than not, that person was Beth and she had accumulated countless scars as a result. Rather than look for a way out, she simply bided her time, shut down her emotions and became uncommunicative. She knew it was only a matter of time before this would come to an end. He only had a hold over her until she became 18; a legal adult, and this was mere months away. 87 days to be precise, she had been counting them down in her head for the past 3 months.

She thought back to that afternoon and wished she hadn't been so hasty to leave, she was sure Jack hadn't meant to pry but at the same time, wished he hadn't brought it up. Tomorrow would come and he'd be waiting for some other girl after class, she was sure of it. Deep down, she had been insanely flattered and more than a little shocked that he had directed his attentions to her but a part of her didn't want the hassle. It was obvious that nothing could ever come of it, not while she lived under this roof and it was better to sever any ties before they took root.

She wished her scars weren't there, they were a constant reminder of something she'd rather forget and how shitty her life was. Things will get better, she thought, things will get better.

A noise at the door that sounded suspiciously like someone trying, and failing, to get a key in the lock, made her jump out of her skin and she shoved her homework in her backpack and leapt into bed, pulling the covers over her and reaching for the overhead light cord. Turning the light off, she feigned sleep and hoped that he would leave her alone this time.

Beth heard the door open and slam shut in an abrupt manner and squeezed her eyes shut tight. She pulled the covers around her chin and hoped and prayed this wouldn't be one of _those_ nights.

Haphazard footsteps were approaching her bedroom door and her heart beat a thousand times a minute, threatening to explode in her chest. A scratch at the door and a thud were all the warning she received before he was towering over her, yanking the covers back and grabbing at her. It was dark and she lay still, she was used to this. She gritted her teeth and stiffened her frame, expecting a slap or a punch any moment. Instead he stopped for a second, grunted and searched clumsily for the light switch. It took him a minute to find it but as he did, the room was filled with a dizzying bright light and it was only then that Beth opened her eyes and saw him. Her Father cut a terrifying figure when he was angry. Even more so when he was angry and drunk which he just so happened to be at this moment in time.

He took a few seconds to stare at her and express his disdain without so much as uttering a word. Beth could do nothing but stare back at him hoping he wasn't long for passing out and sleeping off the booze. She had learnt a long time ago that her words and actions could do nothing to stop him from venting his anger. The irony was that his anger was not even directed at her but at her Mother. Beth's Mom was the one that ran away while she was the one who stayed, never had a day off school and did exactly as she was told and yet she had to suffer at the hands of this monster due to someone else's actions.

He reached down and grabbed her by her shoulders, pulling her up out of bed with such force that he almost pulled one of her arms out of its socket. Grimacing in pain, Beth pleaded with him to leave her alone but he dragged her into the hallway and then the bathroom.

Placing her in front of the mirror, one hand steadying her head by her chin and the other keeping her off the ground by a fistful of hair, he snarled at her.

"Look at that face," he spat viciously, "Look at it! You're HER."

Beth simply whimpered, too tired and too scared to say a word.

"You're just like her. You think I'm stupid and good for nothing."

"No. N-no, I don't," she replied meekly.

"Shut your mouth, you little whore. You're a whore's daughter, that's what you are. You'll end up just like her."

He moved his face closer to hers and she could smell the sickly sweet odour of whisky and cigarettes. It was enough to make her sick but she couldn't turn her head away because he held her too tightly.

"You're no good. You're the same as she was. All doe eyed innocence hiding what you really are."

At that, he dropped her to the floor and she crumpled up into a ball and hugged her knees to her chest, whimpering. He held a hand against the bathroom to steady himself before regaining composure and kicking her with all the strength her could muster. His foot went into her back with ferocity and she choked out a sob.

Before he walked out the door he muttered a few more derogatory words and spat on her, then staggered down the hallway and collapsed on the couch.

Beth was still curled up in a ball on the same, cold bathroom floor half an hour later. She waited, unmoving; until she was sure he was sound asleep and then painfully stood and crept back to her own room. Lifting up her shirt and looking in her bedroom mirror, she spied a red mark on her back that would no doubt turn into another nasty bruise to add to the collection. She coughed and winced when it hurt her.

Putting her shirt back down, she re-made her bed and climbed back in, being careful to find the sleeping position that would hurt the least. Sniffing back the first sign of tears, she clenched her fists and willed herself not to cry; not in self pity. Her eyes became heavy and she drifted into a light slumber in no time at all. Tomorrow couldn't be any worse at least….

**Well, I did warn you! No hearts and flowers here folks, not for now at least.**

**Apologies for the conspicuous absence of Jack but I thought it was important to give Beth her own back story. Don't worry, there'll be plenty of him next chapter and the other 3 brothers may just make an appearance too :)**

**As usual, reviews are welcome and encouraged! **

**Thanks again to Smiju for your faithful review, lol!**


	4. Skipping School

**Disclaimer – I own nothing and no-one.**

**I'm sure you'll be happy to know that this episode is centred more on Jack :)**

It was lunchtime on Friday and Jack was, as usual, bored out of his mind. He was also getting pretty antsy as he'd hoped he would bump into Beth and be able to apologise for prying the previous day but she had evaded him thus far.

The bell was about to ring to signal next period when she passed him by, not even noticing his presence. It took him a moment to spot her but as soon as he did, he bounded up cheerfully but with a slightly sheepish grin on his face.

"You forgiven me yet?" He asked tentatively.

She seemed startled to see him, as though she'd been in a world of her own.

"I'm fine, it was nothing, there's nothing to forgive Jack."

He was surprised how monotone and emotionless her voice sounded and he stopped in his tracks, making her do the same and he turned her to face him.

"You sure you're ok? Promise me?" His voice was tainted with worry as he noticed very feint bruises around her jawline.

"Yes, Jack. Promise, promise, I'm fine, really." She looked at him with a steely gaze. Her words certainly sounded convincing but he wasn't sure she was telling the truth.

"If you say so."

"I do!" She snapped.

"Ok, ok," he faltered, "well what are you doing for the rest of the day?"

"Going to class. Aren't you?"

"Nope. The thought crossed my mind but I figured it would be dumb to waste such a beautiful day indoors. Care to join me?" He said suggestively with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"I don't think so, I've never ditched class in my life and I don't intend to start now, it won't be long before we can blow out of this hell hole for good!"

That was the most Jack had ever heard her say in one go and it made him happy that she was starting to open up to him, even happier that she, surprisingly, shared his opinions of School.

"Oh come on, live a little. You said it yourself, we'll be leaving here soon. You can't look back on your high school experience, years down the line, and not have some fond memories of ditching!" He could certainly be persuasive when he wanted to be.

"Well……."

"Aha! You're wavering! That means you're at least considering it," he said with a wicked smile.

"If I agree to do this, will you promise never to do this again?"

"You drive a hard bargain, Harper………. but I promise I will never make you ditch again, except this one time," he put his hand on his heart and gave her puppy dog eyes which made her visibly melt a little.

"Ok, so now what?" Beth looked a little apprehensive, unsure of what to expect next.

"Well, we walk to the parking lot, get in my car, drive to the arcade and thank our lucky stars we're not in School," he said slowly and sarcastically.

"Very funny, I meant how do we get out of here without being seen?"

"We're Seniors right? Nobody will bat an eyelid. Trust me, I've done this a million times, just keep a low profile, you have plenty of practise at that!"

Beth followed Jack around the side of School and they did exactly as he'd said. Once they were in the car, she breathed a very audible sigh of relief, much to his amusement. Blushing a little, she switched on the radio, already feeling more comfortable around him than she imagined she would.

Jack started the car and they drove to the arcade, neither of them saying anything, both just enjoying the sound coming from the radio. When he parked up, he noticed Beth's eyes were closed and there was a feint, yet contented smile on her face.

"Earth to Harper? You ok, girl?" He teased.

"I'm fine, just enjoying the song," she replied.

"You like Black Flag?!" His disbelief was evident as the question came out as more of a statement.

"Sure, my Mom used to listen to all this kind of stuff before she……….when she was around," Beth's smile fell.

"She must've been a cool lady, my Ma's more into her Motown and soul, it's not really my cup o' tea, if you know what I mean," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

"She really was, y'know?" Beth seemed sad talking about her Mother but definitely more forthcoming than she had the previous day which made Jack hopeful.

"You can talk to me if you want. If there's one thing I've learned it's that it helps to unburden yourself once in a while."

"I hardly know you Jack, besides, you wouldn't want to hear about it," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Try me," he challenged.

"I'd be too embarrassed, seriously. You've probably got your own stuff going on, you don't want to hear my tired bullshit," she shook her head again but he was persistent.

"You don't have to tell me everything, I just want to get to know you a little better," he pushed.

"Why," she asked, honestly.

"Why? I don't know. You…..interest me," he countered.

"You're crazy Jack Mercer!" She said in disbelief. "I'm not interesting, far from interesting. In fact, I'm downright average."

"Well, then I guess that's subjective because_ I_ think you're interesting," he said, complimentary and charming as ever.

"Ok," she whispered, evidently embarrassed, "so what do you wanna know?"

"Well, to start with, why don't you have any friends?" He offered.

"I don't like people," she said plainly.

"How can you not like people?"

"I just don't. People are inquisitive, you being the case in point, and I'd rather avoid the questioning and keep myself to myself."

"That's fair I guess but if you do that, then people assume you have something to hide," he said pointedly.

"Maybe I do," Beth replied mysteriously.

"Like what?"

"If I told you," she whispered seriously," I'd have to kill you."

Both of them looked at one another and laughed, easing the tension immediately. Jack still couldn't put his finger on it but there was something special about this girl and he was glad he'd spoken to her, after all these years of passing her in the halls and wondering. The way she looked at him, made him feel like she reciprocated that feeling.

"Y'know, if you'd told me four days ago, that I'd be ditching class and hanging out with _Jack Mercer_, I'd never have believed it," she said thoughtfully.

"Why is it so unlikely?" He scoffed.

"I guess your reputation precedes you. I mean, everyone's heard about your brothers and I think that makes you guilty by association. Your name seems to be synonymous with trouble," she giggled.

"Hell! Trouble's my middle name!" He laughed, agreeing wholeheartedly.

"Well, '_Trouble_', are you going to tutor me in the ways of arcade etiquette or was this a wasted journey?"

Jack beamed from ear to ear at the speed at which they had become comfortable around one another and motioned for her to lead the way to the arcade.

They spent the next couple of hours laughing, joking and playfully yet harmlessly flirting as Jack taught Beth how to play air hockey, skeeball and all the other after school activities that his brothers had taught him years ago. She showed an unexpected prowess at each and even managed to beat him at his own game once or twice. The notion of being beaten by a girl hadn't escaped either of them and Beth proceeded to mockingly torture Jack at every given opportunity much to his feigned chagrin.

Beth was having such a good time, that she hadn't spared a thought about the previous night's events and she silently thanked Jack for giving her the opportunity to be a normal teenager, if only for an afternoon. Even the, somewhat painful, bruise on the small of her back hadn't given her cause to feel sorry for herself today.

Jack on the other hand, hadn't stopped thinking about the bruises and marks that marred her otherwise attractive face (and unbeknownst to him, her back as well) but he would be damned if he was going to make the same mistake he did two days ago. He resigned himself to the fact that Beth would open up to him when she was ready and reprimanded himself for worrying so much. She may have been telling the truth, if it really was nothing then he'd look like a fool for making a mountain out of a mole hill and so, he left the subject well alone. He had never expected to enjoy her company as much as he was doing. A part of him wondered why he had actually approached her in the first place but now that he had, he was beginning to look forward to seeing her. He had only skimmed the surface and he wanted more! She was like a drug to which he was growing increasingly addicted and still, he couldn't figure out why.

The afternoon came to its natural conclusion as they both ran out of things to explore and money to explore them with and so they made their way back to the car and Jack took Beth home. She figured it would be safe as her Father was probably out and even toyed with the idea of inviting Jack in but reasoned that she wasn't ready for that and it probably wasn't safe as he could come home at any moment and without warning. For some reason, she wanted to keep that part of her life as far away from Jack as she could.

As she walked up the path to her modest one storey house, Jack craned his neck around to look back at her and shouted out of the window,

"So Harper, I'll see you Monday?"

"Not ditching again?" She replied confidently.

"Maybe you're my incentive to stay in School," he said nonchalantly and waved, before speeding away.

He kept a smile on his face the entire ride back to Evelyn's and shook his head at his own behaviour. 'It's been 3 days and you're already hooked, sport', he silently ticked himself off.

**Firstly, endless thanks go to _Smiju, Revenge-Is-Sweeter, caligrl14, pwrhungryjr_ and _samanthahockeychick08_ for reviewing and for the encouragement!**

**Secondly, I hope this chapter wasn't too boring! I know it was mostly dialogue but I couldn't see it playing out any differently so I kept it all in there. I realise it seems a bit convoluted at the minute but things will become clearer before long, I just didn't want to progress the relationship at lightening speed and then have 20 chapters of unrealistic lovely-dovey stuff, the build up is more exciting to me :)**

**Anyway, read, review, you know the score. Any feedback, good or bad, is greeted with open arms!**


	5. Riley & the wager

**Disclaimer – As much as I wish I owned Garrett Hedlund, (chained up in my basement, serving as my own personal love slave…..ahem) I own nothing.**

_And I never asked you to understand  
How I keep myself to myself in the crush of the crowd  
But all you can say is  
"Who cares? It's part of the deal"_

_And I get over the breaks  
And I, I stumble and fall  
And I get over the breaks  
And sometimes stumble and fall_

_-Razorlight / Stumble & Fall_

The weekend dragged by painfully slowly as far as Beth was concerned. It had been a long time since she had let anyone into her carefully insulated world and even longer since she'd had something to look forward to. Thankfully, her Father hadn't been seen nor heard from all weekend which suited her just fine, she just wished that Monday would come sooner so she could see Jack.

It was completely uncharacteristic of her to be so trusting of a near stranger but there was something about Jack that made her feel like a different person; someone worth knowing. He had accomplished in 3 days, what no-one else had managed to do all her life, and that was to make her feel wanted. He had no ulterior motive, nothing to gain and yet he still fought to get to know her. It made Beth feel like a million dollars and she liked and respected him more than she thought possible. At times, she felt foolhardy for thinking so highly of him, after all, she barely knew him but something inside her told her to trust her gut instincts on this one.

* * *

Monday morning came and went and there had been no sign of Jack. Just as Beth was starting to feel disheartened, she spotted him from her perch underneath the bleachers; the same spot she had eaten lunch for the past year, completely unnoticed. He saw her and waved and then began approaching her with another boy in tow that she vaguely recognised from classes. Suddenly, Beth was filled with dread but she didn't have time to worry before they were both stood before her, Jack looking down at her expectedly and the other boy, glancing around, looking bored.

"Harper, you're a hard woman to find."

"I am? I thought you knew everything about me, you should know that I eat here every day," she said teasingly.

"Well, you kept this pretty well hidden," he responded, "this is Riley," he motioned in the direction of the bored boy.

"Hey, you new?" Muttered Riley.

"Yeah, I'm new." Replied Beth, exchanging nervous glances with Jack, hoping he wouldn't give away her white lie. It was easier to go along with that than explain why no-one had ever noticed her all the while they'd been in School together. She turned back to face Jack, hoping that Riley's line of questioning had come to abrupt end. It seemed that it had.

"So why were you looking for me?" She continued.

"Just wanted to see what you were doing after School, we have band practise, thought you might wanna play groupie?" He teased.

"I'm no-one's groupie Jack," she shot him down, "but I may be able to come along anyway.

"Well, if you want, meet me at my car after School, usual spot?"

"Ok, no problem."

"Later," he waved dismissively.

Beth was a little alarmed by his detached tone but reasoned that he was probably only acting that way because his friend had been there, boys were weird like that. She hoped he hadn't been embarrassed of her. She knew she wasn't the prettiest girl in School and was far from glamorous or even well turned out but she secretly hoped that Jack looked past all that.

* * *

Jack and Riley walked around the back of School, like they did every day, for their routine lunchtime smoke. It was the only place they could be sure they weren't disturbed. The penalties for smoking on School property were severe and neither of them cared to spend any more time there than they absolutely had to so they were careful about remaining hidden. It didn't take long for Riley to start asking questions.

"So who was that girl?"

"Who? Harper? She's just some girl from a couple of my classes," replied Jack, careful not to arouse suspicion or further questioning. His dismissive tone hadn't worked.

"She your new girlfriend or something Mercer?"

"No!" He said quickly, almost choking on his cigarette smoke.

"Is she available?" Quizzed Riley.

"Why the hell would you ask a thing like that? Don't you have a girlfriend?" Asked Jack, unsure of his friend's motives.

"Kayleigh? She's old news, man. That Harper girl's kinda hot is all. I just wondered if she was spoken for if you know what I mean."

"Nah, man, she doesn't really hang out, I don't think she knows anyone around here." He paused for a second or two. "She is kinda hot though," he admitted.

Jack hadn't really thought about Beth in terms of attractiveness. Sure, she had killer eyes and was pretty in a plain kind of way but he hadn't actually sat down and considered it until now. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if that's where the connection lay. Was he attracted to her? Did he want to be her _boyfriend_? As a rule, he didn't even _have_ girlfriends, why was this girl different from all the skanks he'd been with in the past. He wasn't sure he even wanted to entertain the notion that she might find him attractive too. Jack wasn't the kind of boy that ever had trouble getting a girls attention, in fact he usually had to fight them off with a stick, figuratively speaking. The simple fact that someone else found her attractive, his friend no less, sparked a weird kind of jealousy inside him.

"So you think you could hook something up dude?"

Jack laughed at the idea of Beth and Riley together, they were worlds apart.

"You don't stand a chance man, this girl has a little class, she ain't your type," scoffed Jack.

"D'you feel like putting your money where your mouth is Mercer?"

"I'm not a gambling man."

"If you're so sure she'd shoot me down in flames, let's put a wager on it," pushed Riley.

"I'm not making a bet over a girl, man." The thought of reducing Beth to a bet made him a little uneasy.

"$20 says I can get that girl to do things you've never dreamed of, let alone done. Come on, if you're so sure, you can rest easy that you'll be $20 richer in the near future."

Peer pressure was an ugly thing. Jack reluctantly agreed and they shook hands to seal the deal before making their way to class. Something about the act of making a bet involving Beth made Jack feel dirty. It wasn't the first time he'd made a bet over a girl and it probably wouldn't be the last but she was different. The way she carried herself gave her an irresistible innocence that Jack was powerless to and he'd just agreed to leave her to his friend's mercy. He felt like a rotten human being. He decided to wait until later and then collar his friend and make him revoke the bet. Yeah, that'd do it, he thought……

**A bet? That can only backfire right? We'll see….**

**Thanks again to _Smiju_ for your review, it's that that keeps me writing this thing!**

**I'm hoping to get a lot more uploaded this week, I just hope pesky work doesn't get in the way! Hope you like it so far:)**


	6. Band practise

**Disclaimer – I don't own a damn thing except the characters that come from my own warped mind.**

Beth had been daydreaming throughout her afternoon classes which meant that the time had flown by but after two straight hours of deliberation, she was still unsure about taking Jack up on his offer and going to see his band practise. She had whittled it down to two options; either be brave and accept the offer, knowing that she'd almost definitely have to interact with other people or avoid him completely and feign ignorance when she next saw him. _Who am I kidding?_, she thought, _I'm not brave_. She settled on avoidance and so as soon as she heard the sweet sound of the bell signalling the end of the scholastic day, she raced out of that classroom and out of the School quicker than she ever had done before. To hell with remaining inconspicuous, she had to be quick and cunning if she were to avoid Jack.

Craning her neck in order to see if she could spot him around the corner proved an arduous task, which she abandoned promptly. _Shit_, she cursed silently. Beth knew she would have to make a mad dash for it and hope to God he had either left already or he wasn't being very observant today. Taking a deep breath, she rounded the corner and ran straight into the person she was trying so very hard to evade. Looking tentatively upward, she found herself staring straight into Jack's magnetic blue-green eyes.

"Harper, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to avoid me," said Jack in his trademark deep, almost hypnotic voice. She laughed nervously.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because my car's parked in the opposite direction of where you were headed," he cocked his head to one side quizzically.

"Really? Huh, I must've gotten disoriented," she bit her lip, despite years of practise of lying to her Father, Beth just couldn't lie to Jack convincingly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure," Jack didn't seem too bothered by this, "So are you coming to band practise?"

"Ummm, I don't know, I have stuff to do," She replied equally unconvincingly.

"Ah, this mysterious _stuff_ that always needs to be done. You think you might be able to avoid it for the time being?"

Looking at him, Beth couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt and let's face it, who could resist those eyes? They seemed to be silently pleading with her and who was she to oppose them?

"Ok," she said hesitantly, "Who else will be there?"

"Well, there are my band mates obviously, you already met Riley. Other than that, maybe a couple other people that sometimes stop by to watch."

It sounded harmless, she thought, what could possibly go wrong? She considered the question in her head for a couple of seconds before reasoning that she probably seemed a little crazy, not having replied for so long, so she simply nodded her head and followed Jack to his car.

* * *

Band practise was less _practise_ and more of a teenage mating ritual in somebody's garage as far as Beth was concerned. 'A couple of people that sometimes stopped by' had turned out to be a gaggle of teenage girls that were parading around in their skimpiest, most flattering outfits trying to snag a band member for their very own. It hadn't escaped her attention that most of them had their greedy eyes on Jack and for some reason that made her feel odd, maybe even jealous. She wasn't sure why though, she had no claim on him.

The boys were revelling in the attention that the girls lavished on them, Jack included, but he still glanced at Beth every minute or so to check that she was ok.

She was sitting on an uncomfortable lawn chair, shifting her weight every now and again, in a fruitless attempt to make herself feel less anxious. The boys had resumed their places by their respective instruments and begun to thrash out some unrecognisable din that made Beth want to put her fingers in her ears just to block it out. Jack had a throaty singing voice that made him sound as though he had smoked 10 packs a day since the age of 6, which for all Beth knew, could have been true but looking at him, standing there with his guitar strewn lazily around his body, she couldn't help but marvel at the attention he commanded. He cut a striking figure anyway but now, she found it an impossible task just to pry her eyes away from him. Nervously glancing around her at the number of girls tapping their feet and nodding their heads to what could only loosely be described as music, she found herself sharing in their awe.

A girl with short blonde hair and small features, which made her look almost pixie-like, caught Beths eye and sauntered over to where she sat. She smiled a saccharine sweet smile and offered her hand for Beth to shake, which she accepted, despite looking wary and very unsure of herself.

"You're Beth right?" Enquired the girl.

"Yeah, Beth," she replied, simply.

"Jack told us about you," continued the girl, "My name's Fran, short for Francesca, you can call me Frankie if you like? Most people do."

"Ok, nice to meet you Frankie." Beth's words sounded forced and almost rehearsed. She hoped it wasn't too obvious that she didn't have much practise at this interaction thing.

"So are you coming to the party?" Frankie offered.

"I'm sorry, party?"

"Yeah. Jon; that's the drummer, he's throwing this huge party on Friday night because his parents are, like, always away on business and stuff. It'll be major," said Frankie animatedly, snapping her gum periodically.

"I'm not sure, I don't really have anything to wear to a party." Beth replied hesitantly.

"That's no problem at all, I could even take you shopping. We have, like, 4 days so that's plenty of time to get an acceptable party outfit."

Beth was simultaneously touched by this girl's random kindness and also entirely suspicious of her motives. It wasn't in her nature to trust people, after all, the only two people she had ever trusted had either abandoned her or treated her like shit, so the odds didn't look good. Despite that, she felt compelled to accept her offer of assistance and maybe, just maybe, make a friend in the process. Beth wondered if all the time she had spent shutting people out had been time that could have been spent making friends and happier memories than the one's she'd been lumbered with.

"You'd do that?" Beth asked.

"Sure. No offence, I mean, you have your own…..style or whatever going on but you can't wear that to a party at Jon's house," said Frankie, motioning to Beth's boot cut denim jeans, khaki green, shapeless sweater and lace-up boots that resembled army-issue silent walkers, the kind that seemed to be largely reserved for 'Nam veterans and butch lesbians.

"I guess I'm a little behind the times, huh?"

"A little hun but we can solve that. If you wanna get Jack to see you as…..y'know, a _girl_, then you'll have to spruce yourself up." Continued Frankie.

"Woah, wait. Me and Jack are…….we're……"

"Friends?" Frankie interrupted. "You can't fool me girl, like anyone could just be _friends_ with that guy!"

With that, she made her excuses and walked back to her friends, some of whom turned to look at Beth with what seemed to be a mixture of noticeably stunned and equally horrified looks on their faces. Beth, shyly, turned her head away, her imagination running away with her, awash with a multitude of insecurities. Looking down at her clothes, she couldn't help but feel that Frankie had made a good point. She'd been so preoccupied with blending into the background all the time that she'd succeeded in making herself look like an amalgamation of a crazy, old bag lady and a twelve year old boy scout. All of which begged the question, why the hell had Jack _ever_ bothered talking to her? Still, maybe Beth had gotten him all wrong. Appearances could be very deceiving. Maybe he'd grown sick of these heavily made up, barely dressed groupie types and wanted to get to know somebody with a bit more personality; somebody like her?

Before those thoughts could cloud her brain anymore than they had already, the 'music' stopped abruptly and the boys put down the instruments, signalling that band practise had come to a ceremonious end. Jack spent a few minutes surrounded by the girls that had gathered to see him before pushing his way through and making his way over to Beth. The way he swaggered over confidently made her feel incredibly self conscious and she blushed.

"So Harper, what did ya think?"

"Um, you were good." She hesitated a little before the words would come out.

"That was convincing. What did you _really_ think?" He had seen through her obvious lie.

"Really? I thought it kinda sucked. I mean, _you_ were good but the band? Sucked," her words came out in a torrent and she stopped herself before any more truths popped out and she regretted them. To her relief, Jack just laughed, seemingly appreciating her brutal honesty.

"You're just in a whole league of your own aren't you?" He muttered through his laughter.

"What can I say!?"

Before she could elaborate they were interrupted by Riley, seeing an opportunity to further his chances at winning the surreptitious bet.

"Hey, Beth right?"

"The one and only," she answered. It amazed her at exactly how much her confidence grew just being in Jack's presence.

"So are you coming to the party Beth?" Riley continued.

"Man, I was just about to ask her," muttered Jack, his frustration evident.

"Actually, you're both too late, Frankie already invited me," said Beth, a little smug.

"That a yes or a no, girl?" Asked Riley.

"It's a maybe actually," countered Beth, surprised at her own unexpectedly flirtatious tone.

"Well, I hope I see you there, Beth," grinned Riley before courteously excusing himself and winking in Beth's direction.

"What a jerk," uttered Jack as soon as Riley was out of earshot. Beth was shocked at the hostility in his voice, completely oblivious to the reason for either boy's behaviour.

"I thought he seemed nice."

"Don't be naïve!" Said Jack, harshly, "Boys like that aren't nice."

"_You're_ a boy like that, aren't you nice?"

The way he spoke to her made her feel like a scolded child. She got enough of that from her Father, so it wasn't received well. Unsure of how to further the conversation after Jack's blunt outburst, she looked down at her hands and fidgeted, the way she always did when something made her nervous or uncomfortable.

"Sorry. I didn't mean that, I'm just trying to look out for you." He offered.

Beth jerked her head back up to look at him, a look of wonderment on her face. His erratic behaviour baffled her but at the same time, she found him inconceivably intriguing.

"It's ok," was all she could offer by way of an acceptance.

"You need a ride home?" He asked, smiling again.

"You don't mind?"

"Course not," he said, playfully tapping her on the arm, "Come on, Harper."

He slung his arm around her and led her out of the garage. The feeling of that simple physical contact made her feel like she were walking on air and she almost didn't hear Frankie shout 'Goodbye' and that she'd see her after School on Wednesday for shopping. With a simple wave and a 'Bye', Beth didn't even look back at the other girl, too caught up in this feeling of elation provided by this strange, captivating boy that was suddenly all she could think about……

**Well, that was a little longer than my previous chapters. What do we think, do I go even longer next time? Or stick with shorter? What do you prefer? Also, I promised myself that this would stay away from mushy, lovey dovey territory for a while so you can pretty much bet that this won't last very long! I plan on making this a long and torturous story before my characters get their happy-ever-after, lol!**

**Also, I need a couple of pieces of information, if anyone would so kind. What were the boys approximate ages when the movie was set? And can anyone remind me which armed forces Angel was in? I want to get my facts straight before any of that stuff becomes relevant!**

**Again thanks for your reviews; _Smiju, Iris Knotwise, shariena, caligrl14_ and _Jokerjill_. It's official, I love you all! Keep 'em coming:D**


	7. Kiss & run

**Disclaimer – I own nothing, nada, niet, etc….**

**I'm having a rush of inspiration at the moment so rather than waste it; I thought I'd get this chapter out quickly.**

_A certain shade of green,  
__tell me, is that what you need?  
__All signs around say move ahead.  
__Could someone please explain to me your ever present  
__lack of speed?  
__Are your muscles bound by ropes?  
__Or do crutches cloud your day?  
__My sources say the road is clear,  
__and street signs point the way.  
__Are you gonna stand around till 2012 A.D.?  
__What are you waiting for,  
__A certain shade of green?  
__I think I grew a gray watching you procrastinate.  
__What are you waiting for,  
__A certain shade of green?  
__Would a written invitation  
__signed, "Choose now or lose it all,"  
__sedate your hesitation?  
__Or inflame and make you stall?  
__You've been raised in limitation,  
__but that glove never fit quite right.  
__The time has passed for hand-me-downs,  
__choose anew, please evolve,  
__take flight  
__What are you waiting for?  
__A written invitation?  
__A public declaration?  
__A private consolation?_

_-A Certain Shade Of Green / Incubus_

It had been two days since Jack had driven Beth home after band practise and she was still having trouble getting that evening out of her mind. Her face hurt from smiling so much. It was a feeling she was entirely unaccustomed to but she didn't want it to end. She was a little perturbed that she hadn't seen Jack in School for the past two days but it wasn't completely unusual given that he rarely attended anyway and they hadn't had any shared classes so far this week, so she wasn't too worried.

Frankie had caught up with her earlier in the day and since Beth still hadn't seen anything of her Father since the incident last week, she hadn't been able to borrow, steal or beg for money from him. That only left one option.

Her Mother's room had remained untouched since she had disappeared without a trace over two years ago. Untouched, except for a few occasions upon which her Father had stormed in, thrown her Mom's possessions around and cursed a lot. There was even a hole in the wall behind the door that was a mould of her Father's balled up fist.

Taking faltering baby-steps inside the darkened bedroom, Beth surveyed the scene. She laughed a little, inwardly, trying to make the best of the situation, wondering what her Mom's reaction would be if she ever did come back and see this mess. She pulled on the light cord and the room shone an iridescent, artificial yellow that made it look positively seedy, the way Beth imagined gentlemen's clubs should be lit. Dim enough to hide a multitude of indiscretions, far from the prying eyes of a million wives and partners that were the under the impression their men were working late, again.

She opened the wardrobe and a musty smell hit her, full force, making her place her sleeve in front of her mouth and nose and she gagged a little. Braving it for the second time, she began rifling through racks of clothes that brought back memories of a woman she barely knew. She grabbed a handful of items and took them back into her own bedroom, checking the clock so that Frankie didn't catch her by surprise.

Once it had been established that Beth couldn't plausibly go shopping with thin air lining her pockets, she had suggested that Frankie come by her house and help her find something to wear. It hadn't been until she arrived home that Beth had even thought of raiding her Mom's closet. She had to metaphorically pat herself on the back for thinking of it; her Mother had left a wealth of clothes behind and there was bound to be something suitable for a party. The difficulty would be choosing an outfit from all that was available, not finding one.

Almost as soon as she had finished laying everything out on her bed methodically, the doorbell rang and Beth jumped before realising what it was. It had taken her a while to convince herself that it was unlikely her Dad would show up for the remainder of the week, as he so often went on hiatus, and that it would be safe for Frankie to come round.

When she opened the door, Frankie barged her way straight into the house without so much as a 'Hello' and proceeded to poke her head around each door until she was satisfied she'd seen enough of the house. Turning around and smiling at Beth, she gave her a sloppy hug and a kiss on the cheek, followed by yet another sickly sweet smile.

"So, what's the 411, chica?" Enquired Frankie.

Beth had to grit her teeth in order to prevent herself from laughing aloud. _Do other girls her age really talk like this? _She wondered. Frankie sounded like a badly observed character from a daytime soap opera.

"Um, well I have some of my Mom's old clothes in my room, I thought I could wear something of hers since she won't be needing them….." Beth trailed off.

She was suddenly afraid she'd given too much of herself away and that all those years of disciplining herself to hold her tongue had been in vain but Frankie didn't even seem to care.

"Mom not around? Don't worry about it sweetie. I wish mine would fuck off somewhere and never come back sometimes, y'know?" Laughed Frankie.

"Yeah," chimed in Beth, "they're a pain in the ass, right?"

"Totally!" Frankie agreed, before launching into a diatribe about how awful her parents were and what they had refused to buy her this week. Beth felt a little bewildered and at times, could only understand about half of the words that Frankie used but she kept up and nodded and smiled in all the right places, which seemed to please Frankie satisfactorily.

Both girls rooted through the pile of clothes that Beth had laid out until Frankie announced she had found the perfect thing. Brandishing a teensy denim mini skirt and a black halter top with a faded 'AC/DC' print on the front, she declared that she '_would just about die'_ if Beth didn't wear them to the party. Beth eyed the items with a look of horror and shook her head fervently.

"Oh come on, you'll look killer, dude!" Encouraged Frankie. "Jack's eyes will just about pop out of his head if he see's you in this."

That was all she needed to say, her words needed no elaboration for Beth to get that dreamy look on her face and smile the way she had been for the past two days.

"Yeah?" Continued Frankie, "Come on, for me?"

Frankie pouted like a 7 year old girl that had been denied her dream of owning a pink pony and proceeded to make whimpering noises until Beth was forced to agree if only to placate her and make her stop!

When Frankie was satisfied that she'd gotten her own way, as Beth was sure she was used to doing, she sashayed out the door, waving, making kissing noises and turning back periodically with choruses of '_ciao!_' and '_see you Friday, chica_!'

An hour later, as it was beginning to get dark, Beth was sure she'd heard a noise outside. Investigating further, she pulled back her curtains and peered out of the window into the impending darkness.

It wasn't until she heard the noise again that could make out a figure standing on the lawn outside her bedroom window. Squinting her eyes, it took her a few seconds to recognise the figure but once she did, she smiled broadly and opened the window widely.

"Are you stalking me again Mercer?" She shouted.

"Only if you want me to be Harper," he replied cheekily.

"What the hell are you doing here? It's freezing out; you must be crazy in the head!"

"Then that means it's your cue to invite me in," he said, trying his luck.

Beth thought about it for a second before coming to the obvious conclusion that of course she'd invite him in! She ran around to the front door and unlocked it quickly, her heart beating so rapidly in her chest that she was sure he'd be able to hear it.

"What are you doing here?" She said, breathlessly.

"I was in the neighbourhood," he shrugged.

"You were in the neighbourhood," she repeated, more as a statement than a question.

"Ok, I was halfway across town and decided I wanted to see you, now stop persecuting me, damn it!" He joked, making Beth laugh.

He looked down at her fondly and tilted his head to the side, taking every inch of her in. For the first time in a couple of days, he noticed that the bruises around her jaw had faded and she had a sparkle in her eyes that he didn't remember being there before. She looked radiant and he wondered what could have brought about this change. _Could it be him? _He'd never even noticed how pretty she actually was. Her hair was halfway down her back in shiny, auburn tendrils and her face was perfectly laid out. Sure, she dressed like a boy and had the social skills of a toddler but the faults were what distinguished her from every other girl he'd known. That's what made her interesting. And her eyes! Her eyes hid so much behind them, they were deep and soulful and that gave her a grace he hadn't noticed before, or if he had he hadn't paid proper attention.

Beth looked back at Jack with equally fierce intent and her heart continued to pound with anticipation and nervousness. The fact that he hadn't taken his eyes off her for the past two minutes hadn't escaped her and the intensity of his gaze made her feel apprehensive but excited at the same time!

"Beth…." He said, trailing off.

He rarely addressed her by her first name, preferring to use her surname which seemed rather impersonal at times. She loved how it sounded coming from his deep, husky voice and whispered tone and it made her stomach do somersaults.

Before either of them could speak, Jack brought his mouth down to meet hers in a clumsy but tender kiss that made her head near explode. He moved his tongue against hers slowly but surely and she felt so light-headed that she thought she might faint. He furrowed his brow as the kiss became more intense and it took every ounce of willpower in his body not to throw her down on the ground and lavish her with kisses and affectionate caresses all over.

After what seemed like an eternity for them both, Jack snapped back to reality and pulled away suddenly, leaving Beth looking startled and slightly spacey. He hadn't meant to complicate things like this but it had just happened and he'd been powerless to stop it. _Did he like her? Did he love her?_ A million questions were spinning through his head and he took a step back, almost tripping as he did.

Beth appeared too stunned and confused to utter a word and instead, just stood there trying to make sense of the situation but failing dismally.

Before either of them could do or say anything, Jack turned on his heel and ran down the steps without looking back. Beth's eyes narrowed and she gritted her teeth to hold back tears of frustration but Jack was too busy opening his car in readiness to drive away to notice. He couldn't be around her right now, everything was so confusing, he had barely known who she was a week ago and now, he was entertaining the notion that he might have feelings for this girl. He had vowed never to get attached to anyone and it scared him deeply.

Jack sped away without sparing Beth a glance or even a word, he felt like his insides were about to explode and he hated himself deeply for doing it but he couldn't explain his actions, not to her or to himself.

**Phew! Well, I told you it would never be smooth sailing and it's about to get a whole lot rougher so brace yourselves!!! **

**Thanks again to those who reviewed; _Smiju_, _Jokerjill, caligrl14, Iris Knotwise_ and _WhiteRabbitOnAWeedPlantation_. I opened my email this morning and your reviews put a big, fat smile on my face!**


	8. Sex, drugs & rock 'n' roll

**Disclaimer – The characters from Four Brothers are not mine but Beth, Frankie, Riley et al belong to moi.**

**By the way, I wanted to give you the same visual that I had for the characters. As we all know Jack is the lovely Garrett Hedlund but I realise I haven't been incredibly descriptive as far as the rest of them go. For Beth, I imagine someone like Caroline Dhavernas (from Wonderfalls) because she's not unrealistically attractive and kinda has a cool, girl-next-door thing going on. For Riley I imagined someone like Cam Gigandet (The O.C.) because he has a bad boy edge and looks like he'd cause some trouble, Frankie would be someone like Samaire Armstrong (pretty enough to make her really popular but very sweet at the same time, maybe even deceptively so, hint hint). Jon's not really been explored at the moment but I imagine him to look like Shaun Sipos (Final Destination 2) because he's not distractingly good looking but you get the impression he'd get all the girls regardless ;)**

_Like a drug that threatens to take my life  
__Lust is a cancer, love is a vice  
__When she holds me, I understand  
__Respect and fear go hand in hand  
__No need to act tough  
__It scares me just enough_

_-Love Gets Dangerous / Billy Bragg_

Two days had past and Jack still hadn't mustered the courage to face Beth, so much so that he hadn't even been to School in order to avoid her. Tonight was the night of the party and he was debating whether or not to go but knew his absence would arouse suspicion amongst his friends and that was the last thing he wanted, things were weird enough. He'd been rehashing Wednesday's events in his head over and over for the past two days and was more confused by his own actions than he had ever been.

On the one hand, it had seemed so natural to kiss Beth at that moment in time. The thought had crossed his mind before that night but Wednesday had just seemed like an opportune time and had happened before he'd really considered it. None of it was planned, it just panned out that way, _sorta like…..fate_, he thought.

He hadn't stopped thinking about what she must think of him. He hated himself for having run away but he just hadn't known what else to do. As much as he was lauded amongst his band mates for having slept with a large (mostly exaggerated) number of girls, he didn't have the first clue about relationships. He couldn't deny that he had feelings for Beth, even though he'd tried, but he just didn't know what to do with them. He could ignore them and risk hurting her, not to mention making himself miserable at the thought of not hanging out with her anymore, or he could act on them and potentially hurt her, even though he'd be happier.

_When the hell did girls get so complicated?_, he wondered, shaking his head. Looking wistfully out of his bedroom window, he plucked on the strings of the guitar that lay in his lap. He wasn't trying to play a particular tune, but it was just that the simple action of doing it relaxed him.

It had taken him a long time to get close to anyone after he'd been bundled from one foster home to another as a child. The woman he referred to as 'Mother'; Evelyn, has taken him under her wing when it seemed no-one else would and she had been his angel ever since. Before coming to her, he'd never known what it was like to be part of a normal family. Being beaten and sexually abused by his own absent parents had left him so insulated for such a long time that for a while, he'd seemed like a lost cause and even though it took a few years for him to really get comfortable and come out of his proverbial shell, he'd never been happier than with her.

It had taken real effort on his part to rid himself of painful memories but back then he'd been a different person and now he was someone else. He preferred to think of the events of his past as having happened to someone different and not to him. Despite this, he wondered from time to time if that's why he was still reluctant to let people get close to him or vice versa. He could certainly never tell anyone about the things that had happened for fear of judgement and rejection. They were best kept a closely guarded secret. _Nobody else would understand_, he thought.

He decided that he would have to make an appearance at Jon's party regardless, he was terrible at thinking of excuses and knew that his friends would see through whichever lie he concocted. He reasoned that Beth probably wouldn't show up anyway and that would at least give him another day to figure out what to say to her.

* * *

_This party is old and uninviting  
__Participants all in black and white  
__You enter in fullblown technicolor  
__Nothing is the same after tonight  
__You enter and close the door behind you  
__Now show me the world as seen from the stars  
__If only the lights would dim a little  
__I'm weary of eyes upon my scars_

_-Here In My Room / Incubus_

Beth had been staring at the clothes that were laid out on her bed for over 45 minutes. She tapped her foot anxiously and chewed her fingernails. It was a nervous habit she had started with as a child. Every time her parents had forgotten to collect her from School or make her dinner or help with her homework (which was a _very_ common occurrence) she had no choice but to sit down, stay quiet and be patient, which led to her chewing her fingernails, simply for something, _anything_ to do!

She surveyed the items in front of her, picked them up, put them down, folded them, unfolded them and even put them away and got them back out again but nothing sated her decision as to whether or not she should go to the party.

Frankie was due to pick her up in an hour so she would have to make a choice quickly but weighing up the choices in her head wasn't helping. She wanted desperately to see Jack and talk to him about what had happened the other night but at the same time she was too embarrassed and was worried she wouldn't know how to broach the subject when she saw him.

She reasoned that she would go to the party but if she felt uncomfortable, she would simply slip away and go home. It turned out that Jon's house was within walking distance of her own so at least she wouldn't have to fret over being stranded anywhere.

She pulled the towel from around her and placed it on the bed. Quickly pulling her underwear on, she glanced at herself in the mirror and wondered how in the hell she would address the mammoth task of making herself look presentable enough to attend a high school party. One of the major drawbacks of her Mother never being around was that she'd never been taught to simply be a _girl_. She owned very little make up and didn't know how to dress or compliment herself at all. Everything she did know she had learned from Television, which, incidentally, had been more of a parent to her than either her Mother or Father. She seemed to be last on their respective lists of priorities and had learned to fend for herself from a very young age.

Beth turned to look at herself, from top to bottom and was relieved to see that the bruise on her back had become far less angry than it had been last week. It certainly wouldn't show beneath the halter top of her Mothers that she had been coaxed into choosing. Pulling on the skirt and top, she immediately felt very self conscious, despite being alone, and she tried to tug at the hem of the skirt in a vain attempt to make it appear longer. Looking at herself in the mirror, she didn't recognise what she saw.

It took her almost the full hour to painstakingly apply the make up that she had found strewn on her Mom's vanity but once she stared at her reflection having finished the task at hand, she smiled, finally happy with what she saw. Pulling her hair back from her face, she turned so that she could see herself from every angle and for the first time in her life, could honestly say that she enjoyed what she saw.

She stood up and peeked at herself in the full length mirror and her jaw dropped a little, there wasn't anything noticeable that distinguished her from any other girl that frequented the malls and clubs of Detroit, as girls her age so often did. The only thing that stopped her from feeling truly satisfied was the fact that she had had to wear leather wrist cuffs that she had found in her Mothers dresser. Beth couldn't take the chance that someone might see and comment on the scars on her arms so she had hidden them scrupulously.

She pulled on a pair of her Mother's high heeled shoes and stumbled when she tried to stand but soon regained her composure. _That would take some getting used to_, she thought. She stood once more, just in time to hear a car horn outside. Glancing out the window, she realised that it was Frankie and wondered where the time had gone! She realised that she didn't have a bag to take, but then again, she didn't really have any belongings to put in the bag so, instead she grabbed a black cardigan and slung it around her shoulders before locking her front door and placing the keys in her skirt pocket. _Take a deep breath girl_, she ordered herself, _this is going to be the night of your life_.

* * *

Walking into the party, Jack scanned every inch of the room until he was sure Beth wasn't in sight. He walked straight into the kitchen to grab a beer, taking take time greet a couple of acquaintances en route. He leaned against the counter, finished the can of beer in one swig and reached for another. It didn't take long for his loyal fan club to surround him.

A girl with cascading black curls and a mass of silver jewellery, walked up to Jack and leant on the counter right next to him, she tossed her mane of her behind her shoulder and batted her long eyelashes in his direction but all Jack could focus on was the person that had just walked through the front door. His eye line went over this girls head and settled on a stunning girl that he knew he recognised but couldn't place.

It was only after a minute of careful scrutiny that his eyes bulged out of his head as he realised it was Beth! Wearing clothes, the like of which he never imagined he'd see her wearing and make up that complimented her features perfectly, he felt his heart skip a beat as she returned his gaze, only for her face to fall._ Had he really upset her that much_, he pondered. Pausing only to give the girl next to him an apologetic half-smile, he followed Beth, who in turn, followed Frankie into a separate room, where more kids were congregating.

Before he could catch up with her, he noticed Riley sat in the corner. It hadn't escaped his attention that Riley's eyes had lit up the minute they found Beth and before Jack could even reach her, Riley was in there like a shot, offering her a drink and no doubt trying to sweet talk her into finding somewhere 'quiet, to talk'.

He stood in the corner and watched them both intently and as soon as Riley left her side, Jack rushed over to her and grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him.

_Shit_, he thought! He hadn't planned this and no matter how hard he searched his brain, had no idea what to say. So Beth spoke for him.

"Sorry? Is that the word you're looking for, Romeo?" She said harshly.

"Fuck," he cursed, "I mean, I don't know."

"You don't know? You don't know whether to apologise to me?"

"I do know! I'm sorry. I'm sorry a million times. I'm more sorry than I've ever been. I'm so sorry I'd do anything to make it up to you. I'm sorry to the ends of the Earth," his words came out unrehearsed and he surprised himself at how forthcoming he was under pressure._ Damn, this girl had wormed her way into his head and wasn't about to let go anytime soon!_

Beth stood there, speechless. Nothing had prepared her for such a genuinely heartfelt apology. And what an apology it was!

"Do I get a second chance? And before you say no, think about it, I wouldn't blame you for telling to fuck off and never speak to you again but I hope you don't. And also, you look beautiful tonight, not that you don't usually. Oh, and if you do forgive me, I promise I'll never do that to you again, honesty from now on and nothing more." He gave her pleading, puppy dog eyes to seal the deal and kissed her on the cheek before walking, reluctantly, away, leaving her to consider his apology.

Beth was blown away. She smiled to herself slyly, not wanting anyone to see and thought about what Jack had just told her. It had been like something from a movie and she touched her cheek in the spot that he had kissed her, it was still tingling.

* * *

Jack walked back to the kitchen, not knowing that the entire scene between him and Beth had been witnessed by Frankie. She followed him in hot pursuit and when he returned to his spot against the kitchen counter, beer still in hand, she perched herself next to him and looked up at him with a grin on her face.

"You like her don't you?" Enquired Frankie.

"Her?"

"Don't play coy with me Mercer, that Beth girl, you like her?" She continued.

"What's it to you if I do?" He asked, suspicious of Frankie's sudden interest.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all," she said, slinking away back to her friends.

* * *

Beth had seemingly been a hit at the party, she spent most of the time surrounded by a whole host of people, all of whom were willing to keep refilling her drinks and listened intently to every word she said. Since she had never really had much in the way of alcohol before, aside from the odd drink that had been stolen from her Father's supply when she was younger and curious, it hadn't taken long for it to take effect and she wasn't feeling the least bit nervous anymore. She chatted and joked with anyone who paid her attention and although her head was spinning a little and she was beginning to feel a tiny bit queasy, she was loving every minute.

Feeling increasingly light headed, she made her excuses and began to search for a bathroom so she could sit down and steady herself.

She passed through the front room and spotted Frankie making her way into the kitchen. She was just about to shout her new friend over and thank her for everything she'd done and for convincing her to go to the party when she noticed that she was swaying sexily over to Jack. Beth watched the two of them as they stood beside each other in the kitchen and talked. Frankie laughed flirtatiously and reached over to Jack and touched the side of his face. He seemed to be a little unsteady on his feet and instead of batting her away, he dropped his beer can and placed one hand on the counter and the other on Frankie's shoulder in an attempt to steady himself. From her vantage point across the room, Beth couldn't believe her eyes as she saw Frankie lean in and press her mouth against Jacks, hard. He seemed to be reciprocating and she felt as though her heart had been ripped out of her chest. Unable to watch anymore, she sped away, pushing through bodies, her vision all a blur, she clumsily made her way up the stairs, where she thought no-one would be.

She left in such haste that she neglected to spot Jack swatting Frankie away and stepping back in complete shock. He wiped his lips as if to erase all traces of her and walked away.

Beth grabbed the handle of the first door she came to and let herself inside. Taking a seat on the bed, she let out a torrent of tears that seemed to come from nowhere but at the same time were long overdue. She was crying so hard that she hadn't noticed another person sitting at the foot of the bed and when they tapped her on the shoulder, she almost jumped straight out of her skin. Blinking her eyes a few times and squinting in the darkness, she recognised the person as Riley. His messy, dirty blonde spikes and muscle bound frame gave him away. She tried to focus her eyes but couldn't, having drunk too much and eaten too little.

"Beth," he said, "what's a pretty little thing like you ruining her make up for?"

She couldn't speak and could only offer a shrug.

"Want some? It'll make you feel better." He continued, offering her the joint in his hand and motioning for her to take it. She did as she was told but choked on the smoke, making her feel worse. Her second attempt was more successful and she breathed out the smoke, her inebriated state making her actions seem exaggerated.

It didn't take long for Riley to seize the opportunity to take advantage and as he brushed the tears away from her face, he began kissing her neck. As shocked as Beth was by this development, she was too exhausted to react and simply let him carry on.

Kissing her neck became pawing at her clumsily which in turn, became tugging at her clothes and sliding his rough hands up her tiny skirt. Beth kept a blank look in her eyes throughout and lay back on the bed, wondering what the hell she was doing but at the same time, knowing exactly where this was leading.

Riley pulled her top over her head and kicked off his own pants and before Beth knew it, he had slipped on a condom and was climbing on top of her. She turned her head to the side and cried out in pain as he entered her. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was a virgin but that just made Riley all the more excited as it dawned on him exactly why it was causing her pain. He put his hand over her mouth to stifle her cries, despite the fact that the music was so loud downstairs, no-one would hear them anyway. Beth couldn't form a linear train of thought except to think about how bad the pain was. It was a searing pain leading all the way up inside of her and she thought about the fact that it caused her far more pain than her experiences of sex by proxy, of seeing it in movies and on TV, had taught her to expect._ This isn't how it's supposed to be_, she thought.

No matter how hard she tried, her brain couldn't engage with her tongue. It was as if the word 'no' had been eradicated from her vocabulary and she couldn't muster the strength to fight him off and so she lay there motionless while he pumped away on top of her, grunting intermittently. It was an ugly sound and she hated herself for not doing more to stop him.

No matter how much she tried, the only image her brain could form was one of Jack and Frankie and she thought about how much that had hurt. That one incident had hurt her far more emotionally than the physical act she was currently engaging in.

When Riley had finished, he rolled off of her and started to pull his clothes back on, without even a word to her. She sat up slowly and began to do the same, struggling with the strap on the halter top. Her tears hadn't ceased throughout and her cheeks were now bright red and stained with make up. Unable to fully comprehend what had just happened, she kept her head down, not wanting to make eye contact. Looking into the eyes of the boy that had just defiled her might make it seem all that more real and so she stared at her lap and sobbed quietly.

"Thanks, Harper. I guess Jack owes me twenty bucks, you were easier than I thought." Came Riley's only words before exiting the room.

Standing up, Beth didn't think she could take anymore hurt that evening, physical or emotional and so she opened the door quickly, only to be confronted by Jack, Frankie and Riley. Jack took one look at the state of her and lunged at Riley, who just dodged him and laughed throatily.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" He yelled, a fire in his eyes.

Beth simply stood and looked on, drained and empty. She noticed that Frankie was laughing too but nothing could make her feel worse than she already did. Jack looked at her but she couldn't look back, too ashamed of what she'd turned into.

"Just so you know, you owe me money Mercer," sneered Riley, before grabbing Frankie's arm and walking down the stairs, both of them still laughing wickedly.

Beth raised her head slowly and her eyes met Jacks. It sent a stabbing pain right to her guts and she pulled on her cardigan. He looked as though he was about to say something but she cut him short.

"Don't, just don't," she whispered, barely able to get the words out, "you're too late," she finished and with that, pushed past him and ran down the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. She pushed open the front door and a blast of cold air hit her and knocked the wind out of her. Pausing only briefly to catch her breath, she continued running in the direction of her Father's house, the closest thing to home that she had.

**Eeeek! Drama, drama, drama! I hope that wasn't too heavy for you!**

**I'm not 100 satisfied with this chapter as I wrote it rather quickly so I might revise it yet.**

**Let me know what you thought, reviews make me happy:D**


	9. Confessions

**Disclaimer – I own everything but Jack and the original Four Brothers characters (which have yet to make an appearance, but they will)!**

**Right, apologies if this chapter turns out to be filler but I won't be online until Tuesday now so I wanted to leave you with something to make up for lack of updates for the next four days.**

_You pulled me under so I had to give in  
Such a beautiful mess that's breaking my skin  
Well I'll hide all the bruises; I'll hide all the damage that's done  
But I show how I'm feeling until all the feeling has gone_

_-James Morrison / The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore_

Beth kept running until she reached her house. Feeling disorientated, exhausted, humiliated and out of breath, she reached down to find her keys absent from the pocket she had left them in. _Fuck_, she exclaimed, _what more can go wrong?_

Her eyes were still blurry despite the fact that the night's events had sobered her up pretty quickly. It looked as though she was finally out of tears and had begun to calm down a little but this was the last thing she needed. She knew she couldn't ring the doorbell and wake her Father up, if he was home, and she had nowhere else to go.

Slumping down on the doorstep and putting her head in her hands, she felt utterly defeated. She pulled her knees up under her chin in an effort to keep the cold night at bay but she still shivered from her head to her feet.

She was so distracted by her efforts to keep warm that she didn't notice Jack approaching until he was standing right in front of her. He coughed nervously to attract her attention and she looked up, startled.

Neither of them seemed to know what to say, so he went and sat beside her, placing his leather coat around her shoulders. It wasn't much help but it made her feel a little less cold. Her eyes met his and in one uncomfortable moment, he wondered why he couldn't have been honest with her from day one. One small, seemingly insignificant sentence could have prevented everything that had happened. As it stood, he wasn't sure things would ever be the same between them again but he couldn't bear losing her as a friend if nothing more.

"I'm sorry," he offered, his voice cracking.

"You sound like a broken record." Her detached tone made him both worried and scared at the same time.

"I don't know what else to say," he faltered.

"Then don't say anything," she responded, "unless of course, you were about to propose a theory for time travel so I can go back two weeks."

It surprised him that she was able to crack a joke under the circumstances but her words also cut deep.

"Believe me, I wish I could."

"Can I ask you a question?" She ventured.

"Sure, anything."

"Why did you do it? Any of it? Was it _all_ for a stupid bet" She asked, calmly.

"No! God no," he replied earnestly, "That was all Riley, I had nothing to do with that, I promise."

"You promise? I don't have to believe a word you say, y'know?" She said.

"I know. You shouldn't believe me. I've been a really shitty person and I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to see me or speak to me again." He blurted out.

"Then why are you even here?"

"Because despite what you think, I care about you and I don't want that to just be _it_."

"So what happens now?" She asked. It was only then that Jack realised how frightened she looked, it made her appear younger than her seventeen years and he wished he could wrap his arms around her and make it all go away. But he couldn't.

"If it's any consolation I kicked Riley's ass after you left," he said, forcing a smile.

"It's not," she replied curtly, "but thank you," she added quietly.

"I don't know what else to say," he choked out.

"It doesn't matter, I just wish everything could go back to normal," she said wistfully.

"What's normal?" He enquired. "Going through every day without speaking to a single person? Eating lunch every day by yourself? Avoiding your drunken Dad in the hope that he might lay off you for a day, an hour, a minute? Wishing that your Mom would come home?"

Beth looked at him with a look of horror in her eyes.

"What? You thought I didn't know? We're not as different as you think Beth."

"What would you know about my life?" She spat out.

"I know enough," he said cryptically.

"You think you're so smart don't you? You think you know just about everything?" She shouted, backing away from him slightly.

"It's not that hard to figure out," he sighed, "you're not the only one who has something to hide or the only one with scars."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She whispered.

"Why didn't _you_ tell _me_?" He returned.

"Because I didn't know if I could trust you," said Beth, honestly.

"Same exact reason." He replied.

"Then that makes us both idiots," she concluded.

"Maybe."

After a couple of minutes of contemplative silence, Beth spoke.

"I don't think I can face those people again," her voice wavered.

"I wish I could tell you that you didn't have to," Jack responded, "but you probably will. The only thing I can say is that you ever find it in you to forgive me, then I'll walk down those halls with you and make sure nobody says a damn thing."

"I don't feel like the same person anymore," she muttered.

"Maybe you're not. Sometimes change is good."

"….and sometimes it's not," she finished.

"You should go inside, it's freezing out," he said without looking at her.

"I lost my keys, I can't get in, my Dad might be home."

"Then you should come and stay at Evelyn's with me," he offered hopefully.

"I……I can't," she shook her head, "I'm sorry, it'd be too weird."

Nodding his head, he offered to help her get inside the house and she accepted. It took a while but they found an unlocked window around the back of the house and Jack lifted her up as she climbed through. Steadying herself she looked back at him through the window and couldn't help but stare at him for a short while. Despite all she knew about him and everything that had transpired in the past two weeks, she couldn't help but marvel at how perfect she still found him. He reluctantly backed away from the window and waved as he walked up the street, keeping his eyes on her until she was out of view.

* * *

The water from the shower pounded against Beth's skin, burning her slightly but she didn't flinch. It was almost a cathartic act, cleansing her of everything she had reason to want to forget. So many thoughts raced through her brain but the one that was most prevalent was one of hope. She couldn't let the bastards grind her down, she wouldn't! She was stronger than that. Tomorrow was another day and she forced herself to at least try to erase from her mind, everything that had happened. Everything but Jack. She had promised herself never to blindly trust anyone but something about him seemed to warrant a second chance; benefit of the doubt. Only time would tell……

**Firstly, thanks to _Smiju, Iris Knotwise, WhiteRabbitOnAWeedPlantation, caligrl14, Jokerjill_ (and _Lovebuggy_, although I'm sorry you found it predictable, I'll try my best for a few more twists and turns that aren't so obvious!) Your reviews are all appreciated immensely!**

**Secondly, apologies for making this chapter so short but like I said, I wanted to get something uploaded today and I really struggled with where to go after the last chapter. I have a good idea what's going to happen next and the drama is most certainly not over! I hope you don't hate this chapter but if you do, then persevere, this was just a means to an end but it _will_ get better!**


	10. Dad, meet Jack

**Disclaimer – I am a mere unpublished writer, toiling away, owning nothing…..**

**Right, I just wanted to apologise for that last chapter. It sucked. I know it sucked but this one will be better! I'm also sorry for the delay in updating but I've been suffering from the worst writer's block which refused to shift until this morning so hopefully I've come up with something a little better than last time! Plus, apologies for the delay, I've been trying to upload this for four days and it wouldn't let me until now!**

Taking a deep breath, Beth mentally tried to prepare herself for walking out of the School building and offering herself up to potential ridicule. She could picture her classmates and peers avoiding her, whilst whispering amongst their little cliques and gossiping about what a slut she was. The mere thought of it made her blanche and she closed her eyes and shook her head in an effort to shake the worries away.

True to his word, Jack was by her side, giving her words of encouragement but they fell on deaf ears. She hadn't meant to block him out but she was so intent on bracing herself for whatever was around the corner that she couldn't concentrate on him as well.

It was Monday afternoon and she'd survived the entire School day without having had any trouble and she was hopeful that she could see through the day and just get home. Even if she did, that didn't mean it was over though, not by any stretch of the imagination. As Jack guided her round the corner and to his car, her worst fears were realised.

Riley, Frankie and a bunch of their gossipy friends were gathered right next to Jack's car. She could only assume that this had been a deliberate ploy on their part. They seemed the type to thrive on troublemaking and she no longer trusted any of them as far as she could throw them. Jack saw them before she did and had already begun to usher Beth to the passenger's seat to try and veer her away from their stares. That wasn't before Beth had spotted Riley's angry looking cheek and eye and smiled at the thought of Jack having caused that on her behalf.

Frankie was the first one to say anything and it was in keeping with her true malicious nature.

"Well, well, well," she announced, snapping her gum as she usually did, "if it isn't the life and soul of the party!"

"We had no idea your girl Harper knew how to party like that, Mercer." Riley chipped in, wearing a smug grin on his face.

"Just ignore them," whispered Jack as he shut the passenger door on Beth and walked around to the drivers' side.

"Yeah, it's probably best that you ignore us Beth, otherwise you might frisk us for alcohol or try having sex with one of us," laughed Frankie.

Beth just looked at Frankie with a steely determination and willed herself not to get upset. It seemed to be working; the old adage appeared to, in this case, be true. _What doesn't kill you makes you stronger_, she thought. Remaining calm didn't look like such an easy task for Jack who was attempting to pry the driver's side door open with more than a little difficulty. She could see the pained look in his eyes as he gritted his teeth and furrowed his brow. His eyes were narrow and he looked like he might burst with anger at any given moment. In some strange way, that made her feel better about the situation. Jack wasn't the type to conceal his feelings and he didn't strike her as the type who'd keep up such an elaborate ruse either so she could only conclude that his reaction was one of true emotion and that he really did care about her. The thought brought a smile to her face. Despite everything that had happened so far, there might actually be something good to come out of it all. Meeting Jack had changed her life, that was for sure, it hadn't seemed like it was for the better but maybe all this was a means to an end and that things from here on in would be perfect between them.

Riley, however, had other plans….

"Hey, Mercer," he hollered, "I had no idea you were such a gentlemen, you musta kept that side of you well hidden."

"Fuck you, Riley," Jack snapped.

"Woah, woah, woah, that's not a very nice way to talk to your friend, man"

"You're no friend of mine."

"That's funny because your girlfriend seems to like me, at least she did on Friday night," he said with a wicked glint in his eye, evident regardless of the bruising and puffiness.

Jack was back around the other side of the car like a shot, ready to defend Beth_ again_. She simply watched helplessly from the car and bit her lip nervously. He grabbed Riley by the scruff of the neck and pushed him up against another nearby car, setting off its deafening anti-theft alarm as he did so.

"If I ever hear you talk about her like that again, I'll kill you," Jack warned through gritted teeth, whilst Riley tried to push him off. "Do you hear me?" He said, loosening his grip slightly.

"Whatever, man…" muttered Riley, brushing himself off and motioning to leave, "you wanna hang out with your loser friend there, that's fine but that's it for me and you. No more hanging out, no more band, nothing, got it?"

"Fine by me," said Jack, never once taking his eyes off him.

"Fuck, man, what happened to you? You used to be cool," continued Riley, exasperated, "she's got you brainwashed."

"Just leave, asshole," came Jack's irritated response.

"I'm leaving," replied Riley, "but just so you know, she's the lousiest lay I've ever had."

With a smirk on his face, Riley grabbed his things and led his friends away, leaving Frankie to stare at Beth through the car windows. Frankie motioned for Beth to wind the window down and out of sheer curiosity, she did.

"You might have won him over with that fake damsel in distress act but you won't have the first clue what to do with him, he doesn't like prick teases," said Frankie.

"He doesn't like rabid bitches either so I suggest you piss off, _Francesca_," came Beth's reply.

As Jack drove away from the parking lot, leaving Frankie open mouthed with shock, Beth couldn't help but mentally congratulate herself for not only keeping her calm but actually giving Frankie a much needed home truth. It was remarkably out of character for her. Or was it? The old Beth would never have gotten herself in a situation like this in the first place, maybe the new Beth was a more assertive and confident creature that wouldn't put up with peoples bullshit, she pondered.

* * *

As they pulled up outside her house, Jack looked over at Beth and although he'd been quiet for most of the journey, he looked to have finally calmed down from the earlier fracas. He stared at her intently, looking like he was going to say something but instead he moved toward her, lessening the distance between them and making Beth's heart beat ten times faster than it already was. Both excited and nervous at the prospect that he might kiss for a second time, she blurted out the first thing that entered her head.

"Do you wanna come inside for a while?"

"Uhh, sure," he said quietly, obviously a little taken aback.

They got out of the car and both made their way up to and through the front door. Beth was just about to offer to make Jack a drink when she heard a noise that pierced through her like a knife.

"S'that you Beth?"

The slurred words and aggressive tone was instantly recognisable and she froze, not wanting to look at Jack. She was less embarrassed of her Father and more afraid of what he might do if he saw her with a boy. She hesitantly turned to look around and caught Jack's eye.

"Get out," she whispered.

He cocked his head and looked at her quizzically. Before either of them could say anything more, Mr. Harper appeared in the living room doorway; his eyes were red and his facial hair had grown and become unkempt in the week and a half that he'd been absent, making him look more like a street dwelling criminal than a respectable Father. Mind you, the former was probably a more accurate description of him as he certainly wasn't respectable and he hadn't been much of a Father.

"You not gonna introduce me to your friend, Bethy?" He slurred.

"He was just leaving," Beth said hurriedly.

"Not on my account I hope," he staggered closer to Jack to get a better look at him, "She never brought a friend home 'fore," he continued.

"I'm Jack, sir, Jack Mercer, I go to School with your daughter." Jack was on his best behaviour, for which Beth was thankful but she wasn't sure it would do any good.

"You fucking her?"

Beth cringed and Jack looked horrendously uncomfortable at the question.

"N-no, sir," he stuttered in response.

"You lying to me boy?" Mr. Harper's face was just inches away from Jacks and despite Jacks generous height, Beths Dad still seemed to tower over him somehow.

"Dad, leave him alone, he's just a friend from School who gave me a ride home," pleaded Beth.

"Was I talking to you, you little whore?!" Mr. Harper was getting increasingly agitated and both Beth and Jack were palpably worried at their current situation. He turned back to face Jack and moved in even closer.

"Well, I'm waitin' for an answer, boy," he spat.

"I'm not lying, sir."

"I think ya are," continued Mr Harper, menacingly.

"Daddy please, just let him go home, he was just seeing to it that I got home ok," Beth said, ignoring her Father's insistence that she shut up.

Rather than dignify his daughter with a response, he reached back his arm and smacked her across the face with one balled up fist, leaving her sprawled on the floor, clutching her cheek in agony.

"Don't you talk back to me, you little bitch," came his justification.

Jack could do nothing but stare at Mr Harper, like a deer in headlights. Beating up on kids his own age was one thing but squaring up to someone's Father was another entirely and the proposition frightened him. Jack was tough but he wouldn't stand a chance against this man, he was still only a high school kid and Mr Harper had clearly been in a fight or two and come away largely unscathed but for the odd permanent mark here and there.

Mr. Harper turned back to face Jack.

"I know your type, boy. Hell, I _was_ your type when I was your age; sniffing around for fresh meat, taking advantage of young girls like _my_ daughter," the emphasis he put on 'my' made him sound so territorial, as if Beth were nothing but property.

"No, sir, I haven't touched your daughter, sir," in spite of his deep, masculine voice, Jack sounded like nothing more than a scared little boy.

Mr. Harper took a deep breath and staggered back a little putting some distance between himself and Jack. Spotting Beth on the floor, he nudged her with his booted foot.

"Get up!" He yelled.

"I think she's hurt, Mr. Harper, you should lay off her."

All that Jacks selfless act of bravery earned him was a malevolent stare and Beths Fathers hands around his neck, pinning him against the wall. Beth pulled herself up from off the floor and began hitting her Father in the manner of a spoiled child. She didn't think she had it in her to really hurt him but she knew she couldn't bear it if he hurt Jack.

Letting go of Jack and leaving him to slump on the floor with the wind knocked out of him, Mr. Harper turned around to face Beth. In blind panic, she backed away from him with a look of fear in her eyes. Her Father had made a habit of hitting her, punching her, kicking her, anything he could do to hurt her ever since her Mom left but not once had he had the same look in his eyes as he did now and it gave her chills.

"How fucking dare you hit me, you bitch!" He shouted, his voice reverberating around the living room.

"I'm sorry, Daddy, please……."

At that he struck her across the face with all his might and she fell backwards, landing awkwardly on her back. He knelt down and grabbed her hair, jerking her head backwards and causing her excruciating pain which caused her to yell.

"You were always destined to be a bad seed," he said, his words becoming clearer as he seemed to sober up, the angrier he got.

From her vantage point on the floor, she looked up and saw him undo his tarnished belt buckle and slide his belt out of the loops of his dirty jeans with surprising ease. She moved away from him, backing herself into a corner but he was stronger than she was and grabbed her legs and pulled her back towards him. He took hold of her wrists with malicious force and began to wrap the belt around them, binding them so she couldn't move her arms or hands. He picked her up by her hair again and she grimaced in pain, before he threw her to the floor, face first.

"You've had this coming for a long time, you made _her_ leave and you're a poor fucking substitute for _her_, let me tell you…."

He knelt back down behind her and began undoing the buttons and zips on her denim jeans whilst she tried her best to beg and plead and lash out with every limb in an effort to make him stop. She knew what was about to happen and at the same time she knew she couldn't let it.

It took him a while to get her jeans undone and off given that she was on her front, face pressed against the carpet, and he had to pry them off from underneath her, while she kicked her legs out and tried to get to him to stop. He lay heavily on top of her, his breath making her nauseous, his face right next to hers, and he put his hand roughly between her legs making her whimper because she was still sore. He ripped her panties and the cheap elastic dug into her hip.

Jack had been slumped on the floor by the front door, watching the ghastly scene unfold before him but as soon as he'd regained his composure and realised the severity of the situation, he was back on his feet.

"Get the fuck off her, she doesn't deserve this," he yelled. Panic had left him without reason.

Mr. Harper abandoned what he was doing and rose to his feet again, striding toward Jack with vicious intent but stopped short. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his shirt sleeve, licked his lips and reached round the back of his jeans. His hand reappeared, except this time it was brandishing a handgun which he pointed at Jack, point blank. The gun was no more than 4 inches from Jacks forehead and having run out of words, he locked fearful eyes with the man in front of him.

"I could shoot you and no-one would give two shits, you know that?"

When Jack couldn't force himself to respond, Mr. Harper continued.

"You're one o' them Mercer boys. Everyone knows you, you're trouble. You ain't got no-one and no-one'll miss you when you're gone," he went on, "you still think you're a tough guy, huh?"

Beth remained on the floor, where her Father had left her, desperately trying to free herself from the belt that bound her wrists. She managed to loosen the battered leather just enough to slip one hand free and unwrap it. Standing, unsteadily, she pulled up her pants lazily, stumbled over to her Father and before he or Jack knew what was happening she'd threw the belt over his head and around his neck from behind.

She was a slight girl who didn't have much power behind her but the hate that she felt in her guts gave her strength and she squeezed her Fathers throat with the belt that had held her captive only moments before. As her Father fell to the floor, he lost his grip on the gun and Jack kicked it away from his hand and across the floor, out of reach. After what seemed like forever, Beth still couldn't bring herself to remove the belt from her Fathers neck and with a look of wild hatred in her eyes, she pulled it even tighter, as tight as her body allowed, and it made her knuckles go white. Her Father flailed his arms and tried, but failed, to grab onto his daughter and release her grip on the instrument that was blocking his air. He spluttered and began to turn red, his eyes bulging out of his skull with trepidation.

"Let him go, you'll kill him," Jack panicked.

Beth said nothing. Jack felt sick to his guts as the realisation of what was happening hit him and he clutched his stomach.

"Let him go!" He shouted, persevering.

When this didn't work, he grabbed Beth's fists in his own and forcibly pried the belt from her hands, leaving her Father to fall to the floor, lifeless.

Still holding onto Beth, he wrapped one arm around her.

"It's ok," he said, "it's going to be ok," Jack sounded more like he was trying to convince himself of that, than Beth.

Looking up at Jack was the final straw that sent Beth over the edge. She finally let herself go and fell into his lap, tears streaming down her face. He picked her up and cradled her gently, stepping over Mr. Harper who still lay unmoving on the cheaply carpeted floor. He carried her out the car and placed her in the passenger seat, fearing that she wouldn't make it on her own. She sat limply in the car seat, every ounce of energy having been drained from her, her face streaked with tears, dirty from being pressed into the floor and red and swollen in the places that had connected with her Father's fist.

As Jack climbed into the driver's seat and put the key in the ignition, he looked over at her. Every fibre of his being wanted to hold her and never let go. He wanted her to know that things didn't have to be like this, that they'd get better. He wished that he could watch over her to make sure that they did but at that moment in time he was unsure of just about everything and so he did the only thing he could; he started the car and took her as far away from that monster that she called 'Dad', as he could.

**Well, I did promise more drama!**

**Keep the reviews coming, even if they're bad! I appreciate brutal honesty so if it sucks, let me know!**

**Hopefully it won't take me as long to update this time, my brain appears to have been on hiatus but I think it's returned…..**


	11. Evelyn & a fifty dollar bill

**Disclaimer – I own nothing, so no lawsuits please!**

_What are you holding out for?  
__What's always in the way?  
__Why so damn absent-minded?  
__Why so scared of romance?_

_This modern love breaks me  
__This modern love wastes me_

_-This Modern Love / Bloc Party_

Jack looked at his face in the bathroom mirror and let out a very audible sigh. He was back at home and he had left Beth downstairs, in the care of Evelyn. He slumped down on the floor with his head in his hands and mentally kicked himself for letting things get so carried away at Beth's house. He knew the signs, he'd seen it coming and yet he'd stood there like an idiot and done nothing while Beth's Father had abused her right before his very eyes. Jack wouldn't admit it to a living soul but seeing that had brought back so many painful memories that it may as well have been him that Mr. Harper had been wailing on. At that moment in time, he'd found it impossible to differentiate between himself and Beth and couldn't bring himself to intervene because he knew, from first hand experience, that it didn't help.

He stood back up, splashed his face with cold water and dried his face with the nearest towel. _He had to keep himself together_, he thought, the last thing Beth needed was someone who wasn't up to the task of helping her through this.

* * *

Downstairs, Beth was sitting on the sofa with Evelyn routinely making sure she was ok. In the relatively short time since she had been introduced to Evelyn, she'd been taken aback at her astoundingly agreeable nature, not to mention the woman appeared to have the patience of a saint.

"Would you like a drink, dear?" Enquired Evelyn.

"No, Ma'am, I'm alright."

"A bite to eat then? You're skin and bones, girl" She exclaimed.

"I'm not hungry," replied Beth, "thank you though," she added quickly, remembering her manners.

It had taken all her strength just to walk from the car, into the house and given the situation, she found it difficult to comprehend her current surroundings. She scanned the room nervously, taking in everything around her. Beth's eyes rested upon a photograph of Jack with 3 other men. Jack had only briefly mentioned his brothers in passing and she hadn't pressed him for further information so, looking at the picture she had no idea who was who. All she knew was that Jeremiah lived a couple of blocks away with his fiancé Camille, Angel was serving in the Marines and Bobby was in prison but Jack hadn't enlightened her as to what his crime had been. He was due to be released within the next year, dependant upon good behaviour, that much she knew.

Looking at the picture served to reinforce everything she already knew about Jack. He was the tallest and slightest of all his brothers and although they looked at ease with one another, there was something that made him stand out from them but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. A sly smile danced across his lips and he looked uncharacteristically goofy, but happy. She couldn't help but smile back at the Jack in the photograph; he seemed to have that effect on her. Even in the face of everything that had happened in the past fortnight, a mere two dimensional image of him still brought a smile to her face. That was _some_ feat! Just then, Evelyn returned from the kitchen, brandishing a glass of water and a plate of cookies. It seemed that despite Beth's insistence that she was '_alright_', Evelyn had still seen through her white lie. She laid them out on the coffee table before her and watched as Beth eyed them hungrily, pausing to look at Evelyn with an apprehensive look in her eye and only taking a cookie when Evelyn gave her an assured and friendly nod.

She sat down next to the girl and gave her a broad smile that made her look like she was about the most approachable and affable person in the whole World. Evelyn waited until Beth had literally devoured three cookies and downed the entire glass of water before speaking.

"I wondered if I'd ever get to meet you, y'know," came Evelyn's statement. Beth had been expecting more of an interrogation but none came. When Beth couldn't reply due to her mouth being full of a fourth cookie, Evelyn continued rather than fall into an uncomfortable silence.

"He's told me a lot about you. My Jackie's a very good judge of character so I knew that if I ever did get to meet you, we'd get along famously. He's had some hard times but he's a good boy."

"He really is," agreed Beth, her mouth still full, manners be damned!

"He tells me you've been having trouble at home…" Evelyn tailed off, hoping it would lead Beth to elaborate.

_Here we go_, she thought, she'd seen this coming a mile away.

"Do you want to tell me what's happened, dear?" Continued Evelyn.

"Not really," Beth said, honestly.

"Well, I can't force you to tell me but you should probably know that I have a rather expansive history with kids just like you. I've been a care worker, a case worker, I worked at a shelter for a while and until I got a little too old, I was a foster parent. I took in hundreds of kids but there were only four of them that I grew so attached to, I adopted."

Beth listened intently but was still reluctant to spill her guts to this near stranger. She wondered just how much Jack had told her. After a couple of minutes, curiosity got the better of her.

"What do you mean by 'kids like me'?" She said.

"Kids that come from less than satisfactory homes with parents that might not give them the attention they need, or perhaps, too much of the wrong kind of attention."

"You're an insightful woman," Beth said flatly. She wanted so badly to pull down the metaphorical brick wall and let this kind natured lady in but no matter how hard she tried, experience had taught her to keep her mouth shut, so she did.

"I don't know about insightful dear, just experienced. Some might call it 'old'," she laughed.

Beth couldn't help but laugh a little herself. At the same time however, she didn't think she could take much more of Evelyn's meaningful stare and so she excused herself, asked where Jack might be and went upstairs to find him. It didn't take her long; she followed the soothing sounds of an acoustic guitar being strummed and it led her to his room. Knocking a couple of times, she pushed it open, tentatively. All she could think about was that she had never been inside a boy's room before and it was a very strange feeling. To think, as of a few days ago, she was no longer a virgin and yet this was the first time she'd strayed into enemy territory. Things didn't make sense anymore.

"Hey…."

"Hey," he said, putting the guitar back down next to his bed.

His room was small and he only had a single bed but it was homely and it was decorated to reflect his personality.

"So this is your room, huh?"

Beth scrunched her eyes shut and hung her head, it hadn't sounded so stupid when she'd thought it but as soon as the words had left her mouth, she felt ridiculous.

"Uhh, yeah," he said grinning, "awesome powers of deduction there, Harper."

"Sorry, I guess it's just been a long day," she replied with a sigh.

He motioned for her to take a seat and she perched on the end of the bed, facing him.

"So, what did Mom say?"

"Evelyn? She was really nice, but once she'd patched me up she wanted to know what had happened and I…….well, I didn't really want to talk about it…."

"You're going to have to eventually," he stated.

"Says who? I don't have to talk about it if I don't want to."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"I haven't figured that out yet. I guess I'll go home and sort things out," Beth muttered.

"Go home? You can't go back there, Beth!"

"I have to. You don't know my Father."

"Beth, I'm serious, you saw what he was prepared to do to you when you'd done nothing wrong, don't you think he'll be more than a little pissed off after you practically tried to strangle him to death?!"

"He never remembers what's happened once he's sobered up, it'll be fine."

"I'm not sure I want you taking that chance," Jack said, doing a bad job of concealing his concern for her.

"Well it's not your decision! What are you gonna do? Barricade me in your room and keep me captive until I turn eighteen?"

"I'm trying to help you," he alleged.

"I know that Jack but I'm not some damsel in distress that needs saving."

"That's subjective."

"Well, I'm telling you I'm not. My Dad's hardly ever around anyway so I probably won't have to see him for a while. Once I'm eighteen I'm outta there, he won't see me for dust," she mumbled.

"Why don't you come with me?" Suddenly, she had Jacks full attention and he appeared pretty excited about something.

"Go with you where?" Enquired Beth, diffidently.

"New York!" He said animatedly.

"What?" She spluttered, "since when are you going to New York?"

"I'd always planned to once I'd finished School. Well, my original plan included my band but since that isn't going to happen, why don't _you_ come with me?"

"I….I…..don't think I can."

As much as Beth wanted to jump at the chance to blow out of town and go to a big city like New York, with Jack, no less, she couldn't bring herself to say yes. Part of it was that she was sceptical but mostly it came down to the fact that she was nothing but a big scaredy-cat. Where would they live? How would they make money? How would they even get there? Beth was a meticulous planner and until Jack provided answers to all her questions, she _had_ to say no.

"Oh, ok," he replied, dejectedly.

"I would…but, I mean……you know…..I don't know…."

It wasn't surprising that she struggled to string a coherent sentence together given what she'd been through that day but even Jack laughed at her ineptitude.

"Talk much?" He joked.

"Can I think about it?" She said finally.

"Sure, but I have to know before graduation so that I can sort everything out."

"That's long enough for you to try to convince me to change my answer from a 'no' to at least a 'maybe'," she laughed.

"Ouch," he clutched his chest in mock agony, "that hurts Harper, that really hurts! You know what that means, don't you?"

"You're a pansy ass?" She grinned.

"You sound like my brother," he exclaimed, "but no, that means it's payback time!"

He pinned her to the bed and with his free hand, began tickling her sides relentlessly, until she begged for mercy. Her hair was splayed out underneath her and although her cheek was starting to bruise, Jack couldn't help but think about how happy she looked. He looked into her piercing eyes and before either of them knew what was happening, he plunged his mouth down onto hers and they ended up in the middle of a deep, passionate kiss. Jack let go of her arms and brushed his hand down her side, still tickling her but this time, unintentionally. She let out a soft moan and wrapped both her arms around his slender back, pulling him closer to her until there was no space between them at all. They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, completely lost in each other, until Beth jerked a little underneath him. She pulled her mouth away from his and pushed him off of her.

"I'm sorry, I can't," was all she could say by way of validation.

Jack sat back on the bed and rested himself against the wall, inhaling deeply and brushing his hand through his mane of messy hair.

"It's ok," he assured her.

She hadn't needed to say anymore, it was all too clear to him why she didn't want to be in that situation and he couldn't blame her. So much so, that he felt horrible at having initiated it, _what must she think of him_?

Just then, an abrupt knock at Jack's door startled them and she distanced herself from him even further. When nobody answered, Evelyn pried the door ajar and popped her head around to make sure she wasn't interrupting anything, when it became clear that she wasn't, she opened the door fully.

"Beth, dear," she started, "I think your Father was here."

"What?!" She almost yelled, "how did he know where I was? Is he still here? Can you get rid of him? I can't see him. Not now."

Jack placed his hand on her shoulder to calm her down and it seemed to work, to a certain extent.

"He's gone, dear, but he asked me to give you this," Evelyn said as she extended her hand which clutched a crumpled envelope.

This time, Beth didn't spare a thought for manners and snatched the envelope from Evelyn's hand, ripping it open. All the while her hands were shaking and her eyes were wide. She pried apart the envelope with the fastidiousness of a professional bomb diffuser, peeking inside uncertainly.

After she assessed the contents, she let out a sigh and pulled out a fifty dollar bill, along with what must have been a letter. Taking her time to read it, while Jack and Evelyn looked on in consternation, she slumped back down on the bed and dropped the letter.

"He's gone." Was all she could say.

"What?" Said Jack and Evelyn in unison, each looking at the other and then at Beth.

"He's gone, vamoosed, scrammed, skipped town. As a consolation, he wished me a nice life though," she muttered.

"Mom…..?" Jack said, looking up at Evelyn, his voice giving away all his uncertainties.

"Beth," she said quickly, "why don't you stay here tonight? We can discuss your situation tomorrow."

As much as she knew Evelyn was only trying to help, she was in no mood for pity, and that's all she saw people's sympathy as. After everything that had happened recently, Beth had hoped that it was over, for now at least. Mainly because she didn't think she could take anymore but it seemed there was always someone around to kick her when she was down. She had always been able to count on her Dad for that, if nothing else…….

**I was hoping this would be longer but I figured that that was a logical place to end the chapter before launching into the drama of the next one. Anyway, I hope you haven't all got bored and abandoned me! For those still reading, I salute you ;) **

**Thanks to**_** Smiju,**__** tigerwhisper, **__**Jokerjill, **__**caligrl14, **__**disneychic248c**_** and**_** Special2**_** for your awesome reviews! Love for you all!**


	12. Good news or bad news?

**Disclaimer – You know the score…**

**Can I just say how sorry I am for the amount of time it's been since I updated! I really, truly suck! My excuse is that I was off work for 2 months but I'm better now and eager to get back to writing! Forgive me?**

**In keeping with the fact that it's been so long, I'm picking up the story after a little time has passed, I wouldn't have felt right starting it exactly where I left off………**

Minutes turned into hours and hours turned into days. Beth couldn't remember another time in her life when she had spent so much time watching the clock. Part of her wished her Father would come home. Most of her was glad he was gone.

At first she'd felt utterly helpless. What does a person do without their parents? Whether you're 9 or 90, however they leave, whether it's accidental or preordained; there's a void left by absent parents that nothing else can fill. People in authoritative positions look down at you and give you a forced, sympathetic smile when you're 17 and practically an orphan. They squeeze your hand and look at you as though you are the most pitiful creature on the planet. Beth didn't think she could take much more of their fake pity.

Evelyn had been wonderful; Beth couldn't fault the woman. She'd gone out of her way to arrange foster care for what little time it was until she turned eighteen. Jack had begged Evelyn to take her in herself but Evelyn had insisted that although she wanted to, it wasn't a feasible solution and given their age and relationship, it wasn't wise to have them under the same roof.

In the time since her Father had left, Jack had tried his best to be a rock for Beth but she couldn't help but feel a little stifled. There were times she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole if it meant she didn't have to deal with the current situation and as much as she appreciated him being there, he was an unfortunate, constant reminder of recent bad times.

Beth perched on the end of the cot that she'd been attempting to sleep on. Looking around made her feel small and insignificant. It also frightened her.

Evelyn had taken her to the nearest and best youth hostel that Detroit had to offer and although it had pained her to do so, she'd left her there in the care of a friend. Despite it being the "best that Detroit had to offer", the floor was dirty, the shower facilities were an abomination and the other residents were a sight to behold. There were queues of girls and boys no older than her, every morning, receiving methadone as a heroin substitute, girls much younger than her with swollen, pregnant bellies and boys covered in cuts and bruises from the regular yard fights that occurred. She didn't belong here.

The countdown until her 18th birthday stood at 58 days. As far as Beth was concerned, it couldn't come a moment too soon. Graduation was just after that, although she wasn't certain she would even graduate anymore. In the past month her grades had taken a sever nosedive and even if she worked as hard as he could from now until then, it wouldn't pull them back up. She couldn't find it in her to try anymore. There didn't seem to be any point. After all she'd been through; she didn't think she could find it in her to face anything else. There was no point in denying it; she felt broken.

A splinter of light shone through the gap in the roof, signalling morning. Beth realized that she'd been sitting on the end of her cot for most of the night. Rubbing her eyes, it dawned on her how tired she was. However tired she became, she was still reluctant to shut her eyes and leave herself to the mercy of the other kids in the hostel.

She pulled on a pair of sneakers and made her way to the mess hall, trying not to make eye contact with anybody. She wasn't the only one who rarely slept; it looked like none of the other kids trusted each other either. Each one gave the other shifty looks. It wasn't like High School where people formed cliques; the kids here were only out for themselves.

Beth turned around briefly, to assess whether she had a clear run when her eyes fell upon a tall boy with sandy hair down to his jaw and bright green eyes. She stopped in her tracks and allowed herself a closer, more lingering look. He wasn't unattractive, just a little rough around the edges but he had a softer look to him that most of the other people she'd seen there.

He caught her eye and flashed a toothy grin in her direction. Beth felt a little caught off guard but tried to return the friendly gesture. Even after everything she'd endured, there was still nothing that came close to the promise of human contact at that moment in time, better that than endless hours alone in her own critical thoughts. _It couldn't do her any harm to have an ally in this godforsaken place either_, she reasoned. Jack hadn't been able to spare as much time for her as he used to; at Evelyn's request he'd been studying hard in an attempt to graduate somewhere further away from the bottom of the class, so she welcomed the potential affinity.

A girl with messy black hair and a smug look on her face, came into view, joined the boy and dragged him away, shooting Beth a callous glare in the process, to signify that she'd 'won'. As soon as the suggestion of a new friend had been presented to her, it was snatched away mercilessly. _That's the story of my fucking life_, she cursed.

Making her way out into the quad, she kicked a random assortment of stones that obstructed her path and shoved her hands deep in her pockets, keeping her head down. Now, more than ever, she thanked her lucky stars that she was so adept at being invisible. So much so, that sometimes, she was sure if she wished for it hard enough, she would actually become invisible. She found herself a quiet corner and slumped against the wall, shutting her eyes tight to keep the outside world from getting in. It wasn't until someone softly tapped her on the shoulder that she opened them again.

"JACK!" She exclaimed, leaping at him with her arms outstretched.

He wilfully received her in a big, comfortable hug and for the first time in what seemed like forever, she smiled.

"I take it you're happy to see me?" He replied, still with arms wrapped around Beth, both of them unwilling to let go.

"I guess you could say that," she laughed, finally loosening her grip on him.

"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me", she added quietly.

"Fat chance, Harper! You're my best girl, you know that. I've just been busy with School and stuff, Mom came down on me like a tonne o' bricks when she saw my grades. She doesn't want to be embarrassed at graduation," he chuckled, "Speaking of which," he continued, "I'm not actually sure I'm going to be at graduation. That's why I came to see you, I've got some news."

"Good news or bad news?" Enquired Beth, tentatively.

"Good, I think. Let's go somewhere though, I don't wanna tell you here," he concluded.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, they were sat outside the local ice rink, on the bonnet of Jack's car, neither of them talking.

Beth snuck a sideways glance at Jack and felt those familiar butterflies in the pit of her stomach. She wondered whether they'd ever be anything more than friends. Every day that passed where neither of them spoke about it, seemed like another brick on the ever increasing wall that separated them forever. She wanted definition to their relationship but at the same time, knew she couldn't handle it right now. What it boiled down to, is that she knew she didn't want anyone else to have him.

"…So, what's your news, huh?" Said Beth, absentmindedly.

"Um, I don't know how to say this…."

"Usually you open your mouth and words come out," Beth teased.

"You're not making this easy for me," he scolded.

"Sorry, go ahead Jack…"

He took a deep breath and by the look on his face, Beth knew that whatever it was he had to say, required a lot of courage on his part. She'd never seen him look so nervous.

"I'm going to New York."

"I know silly," said Beth with a smile.

"No, I mean I'm going soon."

"How soon?" She almost shouted.

"Tonight…."

"I don't……I mean………good for you…..I guess," was the best Beth could do in the way of constructing a sentence.

"A band want me to audition for 'em. I sent 'em a demo a few weeks back and they called three days ago. It's taken me this long to decide what I want to do but this is it Beth! This is all I've ever wanted to do, for as long as I can remember. I'm no good at anything else, let's face it…." He trailed off.

"Like I said, good for you Jack," Beth forced a smile.

"I don't think you understand what I'm saying. I want you to come to New York with me."

Beth's head was reeling. _New York? Tonight? What about Graduation?_ A million thoughts filled her head and each one vied for her attention.

"I cant go with you Jack," she spluttered, with tears in her eyes.

"Why not?" His face fell.

"I don't have what you have. I can't do what you do. You have this music thing Jack, I don't know what I want to do with my life yet……"

"..but you said all you wanted to do was blow out of this town!" He reasoned.

"I'm not even eighteen yet! It's too sudden! What about our graduation?"

"Fuck graduation," he spat.

"I'd only hold you back…" she muttered.

What Beth wanted to say and what was coming out of Beth's mouth were two very different things. It was as if someone had tricked her mouth into saying the polar opposite of everything her brain told her to say. Every fibre of her being wanted to lunge at him, scream "YES, YES, YES!" and spend all of her time staring at him adoringly but she couldn't help but bite her tongue. She knew that if she went with him it would be a decision he'd live to regret. She couldn't stand to think that she might ruin everything for him.

"You wouldn't. Look Beth……I….I love you."

"You what? You don't love me Jack! You feel some sense of obligation to look after me but that's it. You _don't_ love me," she said tearfully.

"You can rationalize it in your head and argue with me all you want but it doesn't change a thing. I love you. And I think you love me too."

"You're wrong," was all she say in response.

Beth was crying so hard she couldn't see straight and by now they were both standing, mere inches away from each other. It might as well have been miles.

"Then say it," he said.

The way he enunciated the words made it sound like a dare and in a way it was. He was daring her to lie to him; to look him in the eyes and say something that both of them knew was false. No matter how hard Beth tried to convince herself it was true, they both knew better.

"I don't love you", said Beth, through gritted teeth.

"Liar!"

"I don't love you," she repeated, automaton-like; as if she'd been pre-programmed for heartbreak and disappointment.

"Last chance," he said, more calmly.

Beth simply shook her head and looked down at her feet, her tears continued to obscure her vision but she knew what she had to do.

"I don't love you," she said decisively yet almost inaudibly.

"I can't believe you can stand there and lie to me like that," he said, shaking his head and biting his lip.

They stood in palpable silence for what seemed like hours but was probably only seconds until Jack couldn't stand it any longer and stormed to the drivers side of his trusty car. Beth saw him wipe his face on his jacket but couldn't be sure if it was because he'd been crying or not. Her feet felt as thought they were stuck in concrete and she couldn't bring herself to move until he'd climbed in the car, started the engine and driven out of sight.

At that, she collapsed to the ground, sobbed into her hands and wished for the World around her to end, the way hers just had.

_What have I done?_ she thought, despondently.

Hoisting herself up off the ground, she ran in the direction of Jack's car as fast as her legs could carry her. She couldn't see him anymore but she knew he'd gone home. _There might be time, maybe she could change her mind and go with him?_

After twenty minutes, she was exhausted and had to walk the rest of the way but when she saw Jack's house in the distance, she regained composure and sprinted the rest of the way. Knocking on the door fervently, her heart pounded in her chest and she thought she might be sick. She waited a few seconds and then knocked again impatiently. Greeted by a man she'd only ever seen in photographs, she tried to catch her breath.

"Jack…….here?" Was all she could muster.

"Sorry, what?" Came the flustered response.

"Is Jack here?" She tried again.

"Oh, you just missed him, he left" The mans melancholy reflected her own.

"Where?!" Beth exhaled.

"New York. Against _Mom's_ advice and_ his_ better judgement he went anyway. He wasn't supposed to leave until tonight but something happened, he seemed a little upset and he left early. I even offered to drive him to the airport but he caught a cab," he shrugged.

"He's gone?" She said in disbelief.

"Uh, I just said that," came the disgruntled response.

With that, the man made his excuses, shut the door and left Beth standing on the step, on her own. If you could hear a heart break, then the sound would have been deafening.

**Aren't I mean?!**

**Again, apologies for taking so long, I haven't forgotten about this story and I **_**will**_** finish it! Thanks for being patient with me and thanks for your wonderful reviews! They keep me smiling:D**


	13. Time changes things

**Disclaimer – I. Own. Nothing.**

**For this chapter, you need to be aware that 3 years have passed. In terms of the timeline, we're pretty much picking up where the film starts. Obviously, given that there's an extra character, a fair few of the events from the movie will change. If the characters seem a little different it's because time has passed. I'm sure you'd change a little over three years too ;)**

_So play little player, you gotta contend?  
__And you can't blame your mother,  
__She's trying not to see you as her worst mistake  
__And I wish that I could tell you right now (...I love you)  
__But it looks like I won't be around  
__So you won't know..._

_You Won't Know – Brand New_

Jack Mercer wiped a tear from his eye and looked down at the pamphlet he'd been passing between his hands for the past hour; a service guide for his Mothers funeral. He'd never felt so guilty in all his life when he'd received the call from Jerry telling him that Evelyn had been shot and killed. He missed her terribly and wished he could take back the last few years. Not once had he come back to Detroit to visit her; coming back meant resurfacing a lot of painful memories and he'd been a coward and shied away from it all at the expense of seeing his own Mother. Plus; and he'd never admit this to anyone, but New York had been a blessing, allowing him to really come into his own. From the minute he'd arrived there, he hadn't looked back and had rarely spared a thought for the things he'd left behind. He found it difficult to choke back the tears knowing that he'd never see her warm smile again.

He joined his brothers outside as they all paid their respects and noted the solemn looks on their faces. Despite the fact that they were four, strong, grown men, they looked like the smallest thing would reduce them to tears at any given moment, and without notice.

He scanned the throngs of mourners, searching out a particular face but didn't find it. He had been sure she'd be there.

Jack hadn't found it in him to contact Beth once he'd run away. That's what it was; running away. He would have left in time anyway but he'd been a coward and run for the hills as soon as he'd heard something he didn't want to hear. What he should have done was refuse to leave and stuck by her; he knew she'd been lying and he'd still left. _What did that say about him?_

When he first arrived in New York, he'd thought of nothing but _her_. He hadn't been able to eat or sleep or motivate himself to do anything much other than pine for her. Then, as time went on, he conditioned himself not to think of her so much until, some time later, he barely thought of her at all. That wasn't to say she wasn't always at the back of his mind somewhere though. He'd be a liar if he'd said that he didn't dream about her from time to time. Despite this, he hadn't tried to contact her once; purely for selfish reasons. He'd wanted to forget her but no matter how hard he'd tried, a part of him knew he'd always remember her; wonder what could have been if he'd stayed.

Someone patted him on the shoulder and made him jump out of skin; Bobby, he should have known.

"Penny for your thoughts, fairy?" He offered.

"Nah man, I just miss her you know," Jack responded, hoping that would put an end to Bobby's usual line of questioning before it began.

"We all miss her but nothings gonna bring her back," said Bobby, matter-of-factly.

The snow covered the ground in every direction. It was thick and powdery and gave the cemetery an eerie, ethereal quality that made Jack uneasy. He cupped his hands to his mouth and tried to warm his fingers with his breath to no avail.

Bobby silently motioned for Jack to move and they both followed the multitude of well-wishers to the road, away from the sombre sight of their Mothers burial plot.

* * *

Jack and his brothers spent the majority of the following day going through the formalities of losing a loved one. That meant making dozens of phone calls to friends and acquaintances to inform them of their sad loss and visiting Evelyn's lawyer to discuss her will. Evelyn had been a modest woman with little to no savings so they walked away with nothing more than a little pocket change and a few heirlooms and keepsakes between them. Jack had secretly hoped for more but scolded himself for thinking so callously. He'd lost the only woman that had ever meant anything to him. Well, _one_ of the only women that had ever meant anything to him. The other would most likely rather shoot him as soon as look at him. 

It had been a while since Evelyn's house had buzzed with activity like it did now. Jerry might live on the other side of town but that hadn't stopped him from spending every spare minute he had there over the past couple of days. Bobby brooded around the house, lashing the others with his sharp tongue and acting like he owned the place. Having gone against his brother's advice, Angel was currently indisposed with his ex girlfriend so it would no doubt be fruitless trying to get his attention. Jack found it reassuring that no matter how much time passed, some things just never changed. Comfort in consistency.

* * *

Later that night, they had managed to pry Angel away from the possessive clutches of Sofi and decided to commemorate their Mother's life and passing in the only way the Mercer's knew how; getting blind drunk. 

Jack had ploughed his way through so many shots of whiskey that even Bobby's taunting and occasional murmurings of "fairy" couldn't bother him. He still felt the need to defend himself when Bobby looked at him accusingly and jokingly 'outed' him in the middle of the bar.

It was only when the conversation turned to conspiracy theories and gang-related crime stories that Jack started to tune his brothers out. Even in his inebriated state, he was aware that he should be a bit more active and show a little more concern over the details of his Mothers death but he just couldn't muster the same enthusiasm for that lifestyle as Bobby and Angel could. He had seen his fair share of violence in the past and didn't care for anymore, he wanted that part of his life to remain behind him. Still, he couldn't deny that righting a wrong, especially in the lawless manner that his brothers favoured, was a pretty intense rush that couldn't really be equalled. _Except by sex_, he thought to himself, smirking.

Being in a band in New York, it turned out, was a free ticket to as many girls as he could physically stand and Jack took his pick of them just like his band mates did. There was a never-ending queue of girls lining up, ready to cheapen themselves any which way, just so that they could tell their friends they'd made it with a wannabe rock star. Naturally, being the singer, Jack was always their preferred ride and he was more than happy to comply. If nothing else, each girl helped to numb him a little and in turn, he thought a little less about a certain girl he'd left behind. If the girls didn't help him forget, there were always the drugs…..

If Bobby only knew the things he'd seen while he'd been away, the gay jokes would stop, that was for sure. The only thing stopping him from telling his brothers was the little part of him that would prefer to forget any of it had ever happened. The part of him that was happy to pretend that he was a better person and not the scumbag he knew he'd turned into. Knocking back another whiskey shooter, he grimaced at the taste and slumped back in his chair, not yet ready to re-join the conversation.

Jerry stood up to leave, made his excuses and walked out the door. As he left, he held the door open for a young girl who was making her way inside. Jack noticed that she wasn't dressed for the weather; wearing only a pair of tight, ripped stonewashed jeans, black heeled boots and a flimsy, black boy-beater vest; she looked freezing.

It didn't take long for Jack to realise why she seemed so familiar. She strutted past his table and made her way to the ladies room, not even glancing in his direction. She seemed taller than he remembered and she was wearing more make up than he'd ever seen on her before; _too much,_ if he was being honest but her hair was still unmistakably unkempt and falling in her face. _Beth_, he whispered under his breath. He rubbed his eyes, worried that they were playing tricks on him but as he re-opened them, she reappeared from the corner room and made her way past him again, this time on her way to the bar.

The owner of the bar; Johnny, had been talking to Bobby and Angel, but made his way back behind the counter when he noticed his customer.

Jack was frozen in his seat. On the one hand, he wanted nothing more than to make his way over to the bar and have Beth greet him with open arms but on the other, more sensible hand, he knew he was far too drunk to be able to defend himself when the inevitable happened and the poor girl demanded answers.

_Fuck it_, he thought, _reasoning is for pussies_.

It took him a few minutes and several deep breaths but Jack finally managed to stand up.

"Where you off to fairy?" Demanded Bobby, laughing hard, "The ladies room is _that_ way."

"Quit it Bobby, I'll be back in a minute."

He was fully aware of the fact that he staggering a little and that he probably wouldn't come off too well but throwing caution to the wind, he made his way over to Beth, who was now sitting at the bar with a pitcher of beer and two glasses in front of her.

"Hey," he croaked, his voice betraying his cool exterior.

Beth swung around on her bar stool and almost fell off in the process when she saw what, or more importantly whom, had spoken to her. She stared at him quizzically for a few moments, furrowing her brow and pursing her lips in a combination of what looked like anger and confusion.

"How're you doing?" He tried again.

She opened and closed her mouth several times before managing to make any sound.

"What are you doing here? I mean, I know what you're doing here, I heard about your Mom but……what are you doing here?"

"I decided to stick around after the funeral," he shrugged, flushing a bright shade of red and marvelling at the effect this girl still had on him.

"Why's that? New York not all it's cracked up to be huh?" She said with a hint of superiority in her voice.

"New York was…………it's not Detroit."

They looked each other up and down unabashedly, taking in each others changed appearance without fear or embarrassment. Jack stepped a little closer and was about to take the seat next to Beth when she stopped him in his tracks.

"I'm expecting someone," she said simply, no more explanation needed.

At that a man walked through the door and entered the dingy bar. Squinting his eyes and scanning the room he settled on Beth and swaggered over. Jack noted the man's sheer presence. He was tall, perhaps even an inch or two taller than Jack and that meant he automatically became threatening. The lower half of his face showed a few days growth which made him look rough and he was dressed in dirty jeans and an old plaid shirt.

Without even acknowledging Jack, the man grabbed Beth's arm and yanked her off the stool.

"Ow, watch it!"

"Don't give me that shit, it didn't hurt, don't go pretending it did. Look, I gotta meet the guys in half an hour, gimme the car keys."

"No way Danny, you reek of alcohol," Beth said firmly.

"So you drive me," came his blunt response.

"I've been drinking too!"

"Bullshit, you ain't even had one beer."

"We were supposed to have a night without the guys."

"I got a better offer."

"Well can't you get a cab?" Beth pleaded.

"Fuck that, you gonna give me money for it?"

Beth sighed deeply, seemingly resigned.

"Go wait outside, I'll be out in a minute, at least let me finish my drink," she reasoned.

"Whatever," came his arrogant reply, before storming out the door as quickly as he'd arrived.

It was only when he was safely out of earshot that Jack felt comfortable enough to continue what existed of their conversation.

"So how've you…..?" he trailed off, distracted by the ease with which she polished off what remained of her beer.

"I gotta go," said Beth without emotion. Contrary to her actions only a few minutes ago, she now seemed reluctant to even make eye contact with him.

"To him?!" Jack spluttered in disbelief.

"Yes, to _him_," she emphasised.

"What does that guy have that I don't have?" Said Jack without thinking.

"Me, that's what!" Beth exploded.

"He doesn't deserve you."

Alcohol had made Jack brutally honest.

"Well he's stuck with me," she replied, grabbing her purse and shoving a handful of change on the bar.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" He said, sounding a little more condescending than he'd intended.

"Because he's my husband," came her reply.

Turning on her heel, Beth left the bar without looking back, the action was reminiscent of events three years ago, except this time, it was Jack that felt as though his heart had been torn in two.

**Before I get people criticizing me for glossing over the facts, can I explain myself? **

**Basically, I don't want my story to be completely free of events that happened in the movie but I also wanted to give my own take on some of them. I'm not going to rehash things that happened and risk spoon feeding you, we've all seen the movie and we all know what happens, right? No need to go over it all again.**

**Anyway, on a separate note, let me know what you thought. Honestly. Hate it or love it, let me know, yeah?**

**Eternal thanks to those of you that have been patient and are still reviewing, you make it worthwhile:)**


	14. Little indiscretions

**Disclaimer – I own zilch, don't sue.**

**The lyrics in this chapter are written by 'Journey' unless otherwise stated.**

_And now...  
__That she's older  
__As the embers of romance  
__Fade to mortgages and leccy bills  
__Been comfortable and that  
__Nobody told her  
__That she'd ever reach the stage  
__Where her husband bored her  
__Or she lied about her age_

_Heavyweight Champion Of The World – Reverend & The Makers_

The next morning, Jack woke up with a start, to the sunlight streaking through the curtains in his old room. He shut his eyes tight and pulled the duvet over his head in an effort to block out the daylight. The pounding in his brain was relentless.

Any thoughts of Beth that had plagued him had been temporarily replaced with an agonising headache and a pain in the bottom of his stomach. His tongue was so dry that it stuck to the roof of his mouth and he struggled to wet his lips. Squinting at the bedside clock, he could just about make out that it was 11:37am. This was nothing new; he'd become accustomed to sleeping in until midday on a regular basis except usually he was accompanied by a random girl, fortuitously sleeping beside him.

Groaning, he rolled back over, not quite ready to get out of bed just yet; the desire to sleep off the hangover was too great to ignore. Unfortunately, it looked like his brothers had different plans for him. A loud knock on the bedroom door followed by Bobby barging in was all the notice he was given before the duvet was yanked off and strewn on the floor.

"Get up Jack, we got stuff to do today!"

"Like what Bobby?" came Jack's hoarse response.

"Like finding out what happened to Mom!" Shouted Bobby.

"I feel like shit, man, can it wait until later?"

"We're talking about the only woman in the whole wide World who ever gave a shit about you, fairy. You are _not_ gonna lie in bed all day!"

Jack hated to admit it but Bobby never failed to intimidate him. He knew the older man would never do anything to harm him but he had the knack of getting people to do what he wanted, just by raising his voice. He wouldn't be the one to argue with him.

"By the way, Jackie-boy, who in the Hell was that chick you embarrassed yourself in front of last night?" Added Bobby.

"That was nobody, leave it alone."

"She single?"

"No, she's not single!" Barked Jack from underneath the shroud of alcohol-induced frustration.

"Woah, did I hit a nerve there?"

"Seriously, man, just drop it, I'm not in the mood."

"Jesus, you on your period or something?" Teased Bobby, before walking out of the room to leave Jack to get dressed.

It was only a matter of minutes before he poked his head around the door once again to announce that Jack had a phone call. The sheer mention of the fact that someone had called for him, piqued his curiosity no end. Jack was under the impression that no-one in Detroit wanted to see or hear from him right now. Too groggy to comprehend that he was still wearing only his long, skin-tight thermal underwear and nothing to protect his modesty, he made his way clumsily down the stairs and grabbed the phone from Angel, who looked appalled at his attire, or lack thereof, and motioned for Jack to put some more clothes on. Ignoring him, Jack cleared his throat and put the receiver to his ear.

"Hello…?"

"Hey Jack, it's Beth. Before you interrupt me or hang up the phone or tell me to fuck off, just let me say that I'm sorry about last night. I was rude and selfish. Jesus Christ, here _you_ are, back from New York for your Mom's funeral and there _I_ am, giving you shit over something that happened three years ago. I mean, it's ancient history right? Over and done with. Anyway, that was all I guess, I'm sorry. Do you hate me? Please say you don't hate me!..."

Given the state he was currently in, it took a while for her words to penetrate Jack's brain but once they did, he wasn't sure what to do with them.

"Hello….?" She persevered.

"Yeah…..sorry…….look you don't have to apologise," he offered.

"Well, I'd feel better if you just let me say sorry and accepted it," came her candid reply.

"Of course,"

"Well, I'm going to go before we fall into that awkward silence crap that we were always so good at," she giggled, "what are you doing this evening?"

"Um, nothing. Wait…..no, nothing," he said uncertainly.

"Well, how about we go for a drink huh? For old times sake or something like that."

"You buying?" He enquired, feeling a little more comfortable.

"Hey! I thought you were the big rock star, you should be buying the drinks honey!"

"Hey Beth?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," she joked.

"When the Hell did you get so talkative woman?" He laughed as he said it; his headache a distant memory.

"A lot's changed around here Mercer. Meet me at 'Johnny's' at seven and maybe I'll enlighten you."

With that, she hung up the phone, leaving Jack standing there listening to a dial tone, in his underwear, with his mouth agape. A few seconds later, he came to his senses and thought better of it; standing there would only provoke teasing from his brothers. No matter how old any of them were, that dynamic of big brother/little brother would _always_ be there, much to Jacks chagrin.

He could hear Bobby and Sofi having yet another raging argument from the next room and it was doing nothing for his rapidly re-emerging headache. This was how it would always go. As kids, Angel and Sofi were 'on' and 'off' more times than any of them could count and whenever they were 'on', Bobby was always the first one in line to voice his disapproval. He would shout at Sofi, she would shout back and it would go on like that until one or both of them stormed out, but not until Sofi had thrown a multitude of Spanish swear words his way and Bobby had threatened to throw her ass out in the street.

Jack just shook his head in censure and made his way upstairs to get dressed, wondering what the day had in store.

* * *

Beth was perched on the end of a stool in 'Johnny's Bar', tapping her fingernails on the side of her glass. Every so often she glanced at the clock on the wall in front of her, only to discover that another measly thirty seconds had passed. Sometimes she swore it felt like the hands were going backwards. She'd been waiting for Jack for half an hour and had promised herself that if he didn't show up by the time she'd finished her drink, she wouldn't wait any longer. As if by magic, she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to face those strange, yet so familiar, piercing eyes. It hadn't really hit her just how much she'd missed them these past three years. 

"Mine's a beer, thanks," she said, winking.

Neither of them said anything more until they both had drinks in front of them and they'd found themselves a table near the back where they wouldn't be hassled by anyone.

"So……..," he started.

"So…….?" Prompted Beth.

Jack looked down at the frosty beer in front of him and gulped half of it down in one go. To him; beer equalled courage and he was in dire need of that right now.

"Easy Tiger!" Taunted Beth, "you don't want to end up in the state you were in last night!"

"I can handle it," he assured her, smirking.

"So how're you holding up anyway?"

"Um, I dunno. Everything's been kinda whirlwind. One minute I was in New York with the band and the next I'm back here burying Mom. To top it off, Bobby's got some crazy agenda that he wants to see through, I've just got a bad feeling about it….."

"I'm sorry……about your Mom y'know, she was a great lady."

"Yeah, she is. _Was_. Man, that's hard to get used to."

"You're gonna be fine Jack, you've been through harder times than this and come out the other end smiling," Beth balled up a fist and jokingly hit him on the arm to emphasise her point. It made him smile and in turn, gave her butterflies.

"So what's your story anyway, Harper? Married? What the hell were you thinking?" He joked.

"I don't know," she uttered thoughtfully, "Danny was great in the beginning. He treated me like a princess, y'know. I'd never really had that before so I guess he kind of……..swept me off my feet," she hung her head and laughed, "sounds corny right?"

Jack nodded, not completely understanding what motivated her to commit herself to someone like Danny but unwilling to interrogate her further.

"I know what most people think; I'm too young, we're not in love, he's a chauvinistic prick, he drinks too much, yada yada yada……."

"So what's the true story then? Are you happy?"

"I'm not _un_happy," she said simply; the regret in her eyes, evident.

"That's not the same thing," replied Jack.

"It doesn't really matter whether I'm happy or not, this is my life now."

They both went quiet but after a while Beth couldn't stand the silence anymore and finished her beer.

"I'm going home," she announced, grabbing her coat and leaving her seat, "you have one of two options Jack Mercer; you can either stay here and drink yourself into oblivion again or you can be a gentleman and walk me home. What's your choice?"

"You're leaving already?" Jack said, surprised, "we've been here for like, fifteen minutes!"

"You left me waiting for half an hour, consider this payback!" She retorted.

"Man, you're evil," he teased.

"Nope, I'm female, there's a difference. Made your choice yet?"

"I guess I'll walk you home," he said reluctantly.

"..and they say that chivalry's dead," said Beth, through a smile.

Jack finished his drink and they left the bar; it was already dark outside and snowing relentlessly. The streets were empty and the traffic had stopped but for the occasional car driving by slowly to accommodate for the weather. It was uncharacteristically peaceful considering that this was Detroit but Beth couldn't help thinking it merely seemed that way, due to her current frame of mind.

They both trudged along, trying their best to shield themselves from the snow that was pelting down. Jack shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his leather jacket to keep them warm and Beth pulled her coat collar up around her chin.

The talking was kept to a minimum on the brief journey back to Beth's house, both of them were far too cold to spare a thought for anything other than staying warm. She lived close to the centre of town and so the walk only took around five or so minutes. When they reached the front door, Beth noticed that Jack was perceptibly cold, the poor boy was shivering inexorably.

"You're freezing," she stated, unlocking the front door.

"I'm alr-r-right," he stuttered.

"You're not alright, you're coming inside. I can't let you walk home like that, you'll catch pneumonia and get really sick and then you'll die and it'll be on my conscience forever and a day so, get!" She rambled, opening the door and motioning for him to enter.

He shuffled inside, obediently and immediately headed straight for the nearest radiator.

"You want a drink?" She offered, shutting the door and hanging up her coat.

"Your husband won't mind me being here?" Said Jack, with a raised eyebrow.

"My _husband_ won't know. He's never back until the early hours of the morning. The plant laid him off and he got real depressed; that's when he started going out every night and drinking……..Hey! You can wipe that look of pity off your face right this second! I'm used to it, I actually don't mind. The less he's here, the less I have to try and reason with him while he shouts at me in a drunken rage." She shrugged.

"Sounds _great_," he said, sarcastically.

"Ok, so we're no fucking Brady Bunch but it works for me. I know you think I'm stupid; marrying someone who turned out to be just like my Father, Freud would have a field day with me huh?"

"Freud?" Said Jack; a confused look clouding his face.

"Never mind," chuckled Beth, "do you want a drink or not?"

"Sure, what you got?"

"Um, beer……..and beer," shouted Beth from the kitchen.

"Guess I'll have a beer then," he shouted back.

By now, Jack was starting to feel a little warmer, or at least get the feeling back in his fingertips so he sat down on the couch and looked around. Beth's house was modest but homely. It was well looked after at least, even if she didn't have nice things to adorn the shelves and windowsills with. The only thing that struck him as odd was the lack of photographs and keepsakes. It wasn't too surprising; she probably either didn't have any photographs of her parents or didn't want them there to remind her what shitty people they were. There weren't even any pictures of her and Danny, just a painting in the middle of the wall that, at best, could be described as contemporary and at worst; an atrocity.

Beth, came back from the kitchen brandishing two warm beers, it transpired that Danny had polished off the only remaining cold ones before he'd gone out so it was this or nothing! She sashayed over to the stereo in the corner and popped a CD in, before pressing play and turning back with a smile on her face.

"Journey," she announced, "you don't mind, do you?"

"Not what I would have chosen but I'll live," he smirked.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with a little soft rock now and again, I _have_ to celebrate my white trash roots once in a while," she giggled.

_Just a small town girl_

_Livin' in a lonely world_

_She took the midnight train_

_Goin' anywhere_

_Just a city boy_

_Born and raised in South Detroit_

_He took the midnight train_

_Goin' anywhere…_

"You're so _uncool_," he teased.

"We can't all exude that 'rock star cool', Mercer."

"You look like you've gotten plenty confident since I've been away," he noted, as much to himself as to her.

"I wouldn't call it confident, I'd call it _mature_. I grew up, is all," she acknowledged.

"You definitely did _that_," he said without thinking.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She enquired.

"Nothing, you just…….you look great. That's all."

"Thanks," she blushed, "it's amazing what three years and a little practise with a make up kit can do, huh?"

_A singer in a smoky room_

_A smell of wine and cheap perfume_

_For a smile they can share the night_

_It goes on and on and on and on_

They caught each others eyes and neither looked away. The attraction between the two hadn't waned at all during the last few years and the tension between them was palpable. Beth had known she was playing a dangerous game when she invited Jack into her house. She wondered whether it was actual concern over his well-being that had prompted the invite or whether she just wanted him to herself again, like she had a long time ago.

_Strangers waiting_

_Up and down the boulevard_

_Their shadows searching_

_In the night_

_Streetlights, people_

_Livin' just to find emotion_

_Hidin', somewhere in the night_

She looked him over and marvelled at the fact that it had taken her this long to notice how little he'd changed. The only real noticeable difference was the fact that he was no longer the gangly teen she'd once known; now he was much more muscular and defined. He'd gone from being a rough-around-the-edges-kid to being a strikingly handsome young man.

Jack, on the other hand, was doing much the same thing. He was very conscious of the fact that he was unashamedly staring at the young woman in front of him but couldn't bring himself to look away. _She'd matured alright, in all the right places too_, he thought to himself. He'd never really noticed her figure before; she always used to wear clothes that hid it but now he could get a good look and he liked what he saw.

_Workin' hard to get my fill_

_Everybody wants a thrill_

_Payin' anything to roll the dice_

_Just one more time_

_Some will win_

_Some will lose_

_Some were born to sing the blues_

_Oh, the movie never ends_

_It goes on and on and on and on_

Beth had a warm feeling in her chest, the same one she got when she'd had too much to drink but the only _person_ that had ever given her that same feeling was sitting no more than a few inches away. She was sure she'd seen him inch a little closer to her and felt ashamed that she hadn't moved away. _I'm a married woman_, she repeated to herself, over and over again, hoping that it would sink in and she could banish the impure thoughts from her head. It wasn't working. Jack inched a little closer to her again; she _knew_ she'd seen him do it that time and her heart fluttered; part in panic, part in impulsive anticipation.

_Strangers waiting_

_Up and down the boulevard_

_Their shadows searching_

_In the night_

_Streetlights, people_

_Livin' just to find emotion_

_Hidin', somewhere in the night_

Jack couldn't believe what he was contemplating. He knew from first hand experience that he could have his pick of almost any girl so why did he keep coming back to _this_ one? Was it love or did the thought of it just excite him because she was unattainable; taboo? Either way, her lips were so close to his that he could feel her warm breath on his face and he knew he'd have to make a decision soon. Either interpret the signals she was sending to his own advantage or dismiss those thoughts out of hand and accept that he lost her three years ago.

It had been over a minute since either of them had said anything but to Beth it felt like it had been ten years. She internally berated herself for even toying with the idea of what she was about to do but she just couldn't help herself when she was around him…..

_Don't stop believin'_

_Hold on to the feelin'_

_Streetlights, people_

_Don't stop believin'_

_Hold on_

_Streetlights, people…….._

Jack looked down at Beth's welcoming lips and sucked in his breath deeply. Before he could analyse it further and give himself the opportunity to chicken out, he crashed his mouth into hers. She took in his tongue and gave an appreciative moan, encouraging him to continue. All the worries and doubts dissipated and in that moment, it felt like there was only the two of them. Nothing else mattered but this.

They continued to attack each others mouths fervently. To the outside viewer it would look like a desperate act and that's exactly how it felt. The next few minutes were a blur of wandering hands, warm touches and inappropriate acts. Beth found herself pushed down onto her back, on the sofa. Jack pulled away briefly to re-position himself so he could focus his attention on her neck, his light kisses made her shudder from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Just then, he brought his mouth back to meet hers and their kisses became more urgent, their mouths widening and their tongues grazing against each other. Jack pushed himself against her and she undulated against him, invitingly.

He slipped a finger inside the waistband of her jeans and brushed the warm skin underneath. Something about that intimate act made alarm bells ring in her head._ She shouldn't be doing this, it was wrong_, she thought.

"Wait," she whispered, pushing his chest away from her, "I can't do this," she continued.

Jack sat upright and looked down at her in an almost childlike way. He looked hurt and confused and she hated herself for making him feel like that.

"What's wrong?" He said, sounding genuinely concerned.

"I'm married, Jack, we shouldn't be doing this," she felt the tears well up in her eyes as she said it.

"You don't _want_ to do this? Or you don't think we _should_ do this?" He asked, sincerely.

"It doesn't matter," she said sadly, "we _can't_."

Jack looked down at his feet, unable to meet her eyes anymore. He felt his heart tighten in his chest and realised that he'd just been denied the only thing that he _really_, truly wanted. He stood up and went to grab his coat.

"I'm sorry," Beth sobbed.

"I should go," he said flatly.

She couldn't bring herself to try and reason with him, so she just sat and cried while she watched him walk out the door. When he'd shut the door behind him, she put her head in her hands and let the tears fall without trying to stop them. _Why was nothing ever simple when it came to Jack?_

**Thanks to all of you who've reviewed thus far; **_**chrissynmh, **__**DragonRiderMurtaugh, **__**rage-ember, **__**Smiju, **__**babybluesjaded, **__**Esther**_** and **_**sessylover18. **_**They really are wonderful! Thanks for saying such nice things and also for not being afraid to really critique, I appreciate each and every comment :) **


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